Competition

WILTSHIRE PREMIER SHIELD Semi-Final 2nd Leg

Date

Wednesday 16th Feb 2011

Match Report from the Swindon Advertiser

In the Wiltshire Premier Shield semi-final, Swindon Supermarine bowed out of the competition against local rivals Chippenham Town. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Mark Collier’s men could only manage a 1-1 draw with The Bluebirds. On target for Supermarine was former Swindon Town youngster Luke Hopper.

 

From a Chippenham perspective...

Chippenham Town are through to the final of the Wiltshire Premier Shield after a 2-1 aggregate win over local rivals Swindon Supermarine. Tonight’s second leg tie saw midfielder Ryan O’Hara make his Chippenham debut but also saw the hosts end the match with nine men and one of their substitutes bizarrely filling in for a match official. The first chance of the game fell to former Supermarine-man Ashley Edenborough, whose header from James Guthrie’s cross was expertly turned around the post by keeper James Rae. The hosts’ Joe Harris then almost opened the scoring with a spectacular volley from distance, which crashed against the upright.

 

In the 24th minute, Chippenham were ahead when Alex Kite nodded Guthrie's corner back across the goal. Fellow defender Steve Casey was left with the goal at his mercy as he nodded the Bluebirds into the lead. Supermarine’s Dave Bampton was yellow-carded for a sliding challenge on Jack McKenna midway through the first-period, as Chippenham went into the break a goal up.

 

The second-half kick-off was delayed for around ten minutes as calls for a qualified official were put out around the ground but linesman Paul Humphrey eventually emerged to run the line, despite visibly being in discomfort. And ten minutes later, Humphrey signalled to the match referee that he couldn’t continue, leaving Supermarine substitute Liam Jones to fill in for the presumably injured official.

 

On the pitch, neither side could create any openings in the opening stages of the second-half, but the Chippenham woodwork was again rattled by Harris – this time from the midfielder’s curling free-kick. The hosts levelled the scores on the night on 75 minutes, when striker Luke Hopper poked home from Nick Stanley’s low cross.

 

The home side piled on the pressure as they looked to force extra-time but their efforts went unrewarded and frustration got the better of them in the closing stages as Harris was shown a straight red card for a clattering challenge on Chippenham’s Guthrie near the corner-flag. Just minutes later, Supermarine suffered their second dismissal of the night as midfielder Bampton, who had been a constant noise in the referee’s ear all game, was shown a second yellow card for dissent, much to the dismay of the home supporters.