City keepers in hospital as violence erupts in Cup defeat

Chippenham Town 2 Winchester City 1

WINCHESTER City's FA Cup dreams were left in tatters last Saturday as they controversially bowed out of the competition in a game marred by serious injuries to both their goalkeepers.

Chippenham scored the winner six minutes into stoppage time as they came from behind to defeat Neil Hards' depleted team, which had been reduced to ten men.

Both first choice keeper Darren Crowfoot and substitute Ollie Rastall needed hospital treatment after falling victims to reckless challenges from home striker Adie Mings, who was eventually sent off in time added on.

There were ugly scenes when referee John Farries blew the final whistle after a marathon 103 minutes.

Scorer Forbes helped off

City were playing their third consecutive away tie in the competition and were without the services of five of their squad, including flu victim Mark Blake. To make matters worse, they lost influential striker Andy Forbes after half an hour following an earlier clash of heads when he headed the opening goal.

After Mings had failed to convert an easy opening for the Dr Martens Premier on eight minutes, the prolific Forbes showed him how it was done three minutes later when he headed in Matt Bicknell's left wing cross. But the striker was left in a heap following a clash of heads with Town defender Tom Gould.

Forbes battled on for 20 minutes, but was clearly struggling and was replaced by 16 year old Mark Lilley.

Crowfoot is carried off

With the visitors frustrating their Wiltshire hosts, the injury crisis worsened just before the break when Mings caught Crowfoot late as the keeper attempted to clear a back pass. He was helped from the field with suspected knee ligament damage and substitute Rastall took over between the posts.

After the interval, the home side pressed in search of an equaliser and finally breached City's brave rearguard after 58 minutes when the notorious Mings headed in from six yards.

City hit back immediately, and Lloyd Webber's rasping 25-yard drive flashed wide before the home side went even closer when Scott Walker's angled shot went inches wide of the post.

With City holding firm under constant pressure, striker Paul was again guilty of missing chances when he shot straight at Rastall before firing wide again when clean through. But when the visitors sprang a rare second half attack it nearly paid dividends. Substitute Kevin Brewster's testing cross forced defender Davies to head over his own crossbar as Lilley shaped up to strike.

A minute later, substitute keeper Rastall made his first and only telling contribution when Town were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Walker's curling effort looked goalbound before Rastall sprang to claw the ball onto the bar and over, before colliding heavily with the post.

Substitute keeper stretchered off

He continued after lengthy treatment, but lasted only a further three minutes before home striker Mings managed to put him out of action too ten minutes from the end of normal time. Following Paul's right wing cross, Rastall scrambled to clear before Mings barged into him, leaving the City man to be carried off with a suspected broken collar bone.

With no substitutes left and both keepers injured, wing back Shaun Dyke went in goal for the remainder of the match, while manager Neil Hards was sent to the stands for complaining about the incident.

With Chippenham sensing a winner, ten-man City defended stoutly as they desperately protected the inexperienced Dyke. But six minutes into stoppage time, City's hearts were broken when Paul finally managed to score the winner, heading in from three yards to spark wild celebrations at Hardenhuish Park.

There was still time for the over robust Mings to receive his marching orders for an off the ball incident with Danny Smith, but desperate attempts to force an equaliser ended when referee Farries blew the final whistle in the 103rd minute.

City: Crowfoot (Rastall 45), Dyke, Bicknell, Smith, Lang, Goss, Webber, L Green (Brewster 71), Rodgers, Forbes (Lilley 30), Dean. Subs not used: J Dixon, Waite.

Angry City sign new keeper

City's director of football, David Malone, expressed his anger at events surrounding the injuries to both goalkeepers, writes Ian Henderson.

"What went on out there with their striker was quite disgraceful. He should have been sent off long before," he stormed.

"We don't expect to have either Darren or Ollie back in action for quite some time and would have had to play either manager Neil Hards (now 41), or youth team keeper Henry Howes had there been a replay."

But the club have moved quickly to sign Joe McCormack from DML Eastern Division side Newport I.W. and he'll make his debut in tomorrow's (Saturday 4th) home league game against Hamble ASSC.

The 24-year-old is out of favour at St George's Park and has been replaced by Simon Arthur.