Alexcars Junior Charities Cup

Down Ampney 2

Minety 3

MINETY are through to the semi-finals of the Alexcars Junior Charities Cup after getting the better of Down Ampney in a great cup encounter.

Minety were on the back foot for the first 15 minutes getting used to the long balls from Down Ampney keeper Tom Beechey.

The visitors began to get a foothold in the game and took the lead in the 25th minute.

Great battling from midfield duo Tom Gallagher and Robyn Collier resulted in Jake Pegler playing in James Hurcombe. He still had a lot to do from 25 yards out but unleashed a left-footed strike that nestled into the bottom corner leaving the keeper helpless.

Down Ampney then started to play some neat football, trying to get their pacy wingers involved.

Soon it was Minety's turn to produce some two-touch passing as they began to probe the opposition defence.

In the 37th minute, Collier played a through ball to Pegler, who took it around the oncoming keeper before neatly slotting the ball into an empty net.

Two-nil up at half-time, Minety seemed to be in cruise control, but Down Ampney fought back after the break and got a deserved goal in the 65th minute when the defence failed to make a clearance.

That set up a nervy final half-hour with Mark and Robert Harvey, Scott Dufus and James Dixon working tirelessly to stop any attacks getting past.

Down Ampney were really pushing and after a couple of successive corners they found an equaliser in the 80th minute when a header was misdirected into the path of an unmarked striker.

Minety knew a draw would see them through the round robin stages, but Pegler had other ideas and was bearing down on goal when taken down inside the penalty box.

Collier's initial spot kick was saved, but Jake Pinnell reacted quickest to fire the rebound in from a tight angle.

Could there be some silverware heading to Minety Playing Fields this year as they are also in the semi-final of the CIA Mills-Roberts Memorial Cup?

Time will tell, but for now they are a side full of confidence.