GFA Senior Cup Semi - Final

Yate Town 0

Shortwood United 1

By Jim Cunneen

SHORTWOOD carried on where they left off at Totton with another performance of sheer character at Yate in the semi-final of the GFA Senior Cup.

Wood will now meet Cirencester Town on the state-of-the-art 4G pitch at Gloucestershire FA HQ in Almondsbury, Bristol on Tuesday, April 28.

Coach Andy Hoskins was delighted with the performance, he said:”Tthis was a great performance and shows the team spirit we have.

“We never stopped working and Matt Bennett was outstanding and our man-of- the- match.”

The game was  real end- to-end game and could have gone either way, but  was  decided by a Josh Egan strike  with 15 minutes to go.

Earlier, Shortwood created the better of the early chances and Lewis Sommers sent a  headed chance straight at home keeper Martin Horsell.

Although Wood continued to press, Jake Jackson burst through the middle, but blazed high over the bar. Tom King made an excellent parry to keep out a Rogers cross- shot and Horsell responded in kind to deny Josh Klein – Davies.

On the cusp of the interval, Horsell made a tremendous double save to deny Klein – Davies and then beat away Matt Bennett’s follow up effort.

The second half continued in much the same vein. Egan fired wide. With 20 minutes to go King saved Shortwood with an outstanding save and the ball pinballed about the six-yard box before King gratefully grabbed it.

Then, with 15 minutes to go, Josh Klein – Davies held the ball up well before pushing the ball into the space behind the defence. Egan timed his run to perfection and nipped the ball past Horsell to score

In the dying seconds Yate had a golden opportunity to send the game to penalties, but Chandler headed wide from six- yards.

SHORTWOOD: King, Rawlings, Humphreys, Lee, Lawrence – Forbes (Sykes 67), Langworthy, Thomas M, Bennett, Sommers, Klein - Davies, Egan.

Subs not used:  Hoskins.

Star Man: Matt Bennett.