FOOTBALL: Ascott blow hot and cold as Cricklade clinch victory (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

FOOTBALL: Ascott blow hot and cold as Cricklade clinch victory

3:00pm Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in Sport

Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup

Cricklade Town 4

Ascot United 2 aet

CRICKLADE Town edged past Ascot United in extra time but needed a three-man advantage to do so.

The game resulted in five yellow cards and four reds, though there was hardly a seriously bad tackle.

Until the half-hour mark, the match was incident free with Cricklade controlling possession but unable to create any meaningful chances.

But Cricklade did break the deadlock on 33 minutes. Price sent O'Bree down the left wing and, after beating two men, he crossed into the near post for Allan to turn the ball home.

Cricklade deserved their half-time lead and Carter almost made it 2-0 late on when his fierce drive was tipped over by Bowles. The second half proved a different story as Ascot worked hard and got the ball first.

They made it 1-1 in the 50th minute when Cricklade failed to clear a corner, Saunders rifling the ball into the roof of the net. The first of the sending-offs came when Ascot's Bennett received a straight red for a high tackle on Davies.

Despite being a man down, Ascot could have taken the lead in the 63rd minute when Brooks prompted a good save from Cricklade's Brown.

On 65 minutes, Ascot had a lucky escape when Thomas's first-time shot from 30 yards struck the underside of the bar and bounced clear.

The second sending-off came in the 72nd minute when Allan was hauled down in the area by Woosley for a penalty. It was a second yellow for the defender and reduced Ascot to nine men.

Thomas easily converted the spot-kick to make it 2-1 to Cricklade. In the 82nd minute, nine-man Ascot were back in the game as Brooks sent the game into extra time with a neat finish.

After the restart, Ascot were denied what looked a stonewall penalty and Cricklade went straight up the other end and scored through Carter. In the ensuing heated exchanges, Saunders (Crick-lade) and Lamb (Ascot) were red-carded.

With only eight men, Ascot almost equalised again, Brown saving well from Waddieh, before Smillie had his follow-up cleared off the line by Povey. In the second half of extra time, the three-man advantage showed and the final Cricklade goal was scored on 113 minutes by an unmarked Allan.