THE all-first division battle between local rivals Miller Sports A and Melksham Cosmos for a place in the quarter-finals of this season’s A M Print & Copy-sponsored Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup lived up to all pre-match expectations.

Cosmos, who have not played for nearly two months, won the earlier league meeting 3-1 and, after taking a 2-0 lead, they looked on course for another win.

But Miller staged a remarkable fightback as they overturned their deficit to run out 3-2 winners and set up a quarter-final clash at last season’s beaten finalists The Castle.

Melksham Cosmos led at half time through a Alex Shaftoe goal and, when Dan Moore doubled the advantage in the second half, Miller looked down but not out of it.

Josh Thornton started the fightback when he planted home a Paul Walker cross and Joe Murray scored from the penalty spot to restore parity for the Miller boys’.

With both teams searching for a winner, Miller grabbed the all-important goal, Murray making the most of a defensive mix-up to claim his second and Miller’s third of the intriguing cup contest.

Division Three leaders The Grapes United hosted stablemates Corsham Park.

The Grapes, who are many people’s favourites to lift the Knockout Cup this season, booked a quarter-final showdown with cup holders Corsham Centre Youth after their comfortable 6-0 triumph.

The game was as good as won in the opening 15 minutes as Grapes raced into a 3-0 lead, the first two goals coming from Nick Ridout and the third being a 30-yard thunderbolt from Gareth Pullinger.

A third for Ridout and an Emilio Menghini effort gave Grapes a 5-0 half-time lead. Nathan Walker was on target in the second half to complete the Grapes half dozen.