FA CUP: Frome Town 0 Weston Super Mare 2 (From Wiltshire Times)

FA CUP: Frome Town 0 Weston Super Mare 2

10:08am Monday 24th September 2012 in Sport

A GOAL either side of half time ended Frome Town’s involvement in this season’s FA Cup, with Weston eventually well worth their win.

Suspensions, injuries and cup ties meant that Frome started the match against the Conference South  side with six of their first choice players unavailable, with Tom Evans, Alex Lapham and Mike Perrott all suspended, Ben Wood and Mike Reaney injured and Greg Tindle cup-tied.

Frome definitely had the better of the first half hour, with Lewis Powell bringing a sharp save from Lloyd Irish in the second minute, Nat Auckland producing a cross that just evaded the strikers in the fifth and Powell and Dave Gilroy combining well to give Powell a shooting chance in the 10th.

Matt Smith combined well with Powell in the 18th minute to allow Gilroy to produce a blocked shot, and four minutes later, Powell again found the space to enable a lob just over the bar.

Weston’s first real attack came on the half hour as Nabi Diallo shot wide of the post, and the same player finished off a good move two minutes later that brought a sharp save from Darren Chitty, but Frome always looked the side more likely to score.

The 37th minute saw a great 35-yard shot from Smith thumpagainst the top of the Weston upright before rebounding to safety.

However, much against the run of play, Weston took the lead in the 40th minute as Darren Chitty called for a high looping ball on the edge of the area, Dean Flockton left the ball to his keeper, but Kane Ingram nipped in between both of them and poked the ball into the empty net to give Weston a 1-0 lead.

The second half was a very different affair, Frome were slow to start, struggled to get and keep possession and they were punished in the 52nd minute as Ross Stearn made it 2-0 to Weston as he jinked inside the Frome box before unleashing a curling shot that went across Chitty and buried itself in the far corner.

From that point, Weston pretty much dominated the match, denying Frome any real possession and tending to keep possession and play the ball in the Frome half when they had it.

Frome’s chances of getting back into the game relied on quick breaks, but the Weston defence were quick to get back whenever they were stretched, and Chitty was much the busier goalkeeper in the second half, bring off several excellent saves.

The H&B Tyres Man of the Match, as chosen by match sponsors Graham & Kimber Builders Ltd.  was Smith, who had another excellent match in midfield.

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