WG PARR TROPHY: Favourites overcome potential banana skin (From Wiltshire Times)

WG PARR TROPHY: Favourites overcome potential banana skin

1:30pm Monday 5th March 2012 in Trophy News

HEAVY overnight rain led to the first of this season’s Chippenham Sunday League’s reebrooks print media-sponsored Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup semi-finals between first division FC Jager and second division Corsham United being postponed.

The match, scheduled for Meadow Lane, Westbury, was called off due to a waterlogged pitch - one of six matches lost on the day.

Corsham Park Rangers, flag bearers for the third division in this season’s Westernsport Trophies-sponsored WG Parr Trophy, were unable to keep their cup dreams alive.

They suffered heartache at the hands of cup favorites AFC Melksham ,who had to put in a shift before coming up trumps with a 3-1 win to book their place in the last four.

Corsham Park held out until the 35th minute but they fell behind to an Ashley Fletcher goal that gave Mike Rogers team a slender 1-0 lead at the break. Melksham held the upper hand until the 63rd minute before a battling Corsham Park netted a deserved equaliser, Chaz Young tying the contest at 1-1.

Melksham eventually got their noses in front again but they hand to wait until the 83rd minute for Dan Barnett to settle their nerves and when Tom Robinson fired home number three on 86 minutes Melksham knew their passage into the semi-finals was secure.

AFC Calne 4 Biddestone White Horse 2

AFC CALNE may not have a won a league match in their last six attempts, but the top flight’s bottom club were grateful of some respite from their relegation battle with a home tie against in-form first division opponents Biddestone White Horse.

Horse had been predicted to take the scalp of Calne, but Gareth Hadden’s side ripped up the form book as they won 4-2 to set up a meeting with either Prestige Body Works or FC Colerne later this month.

Alex Lewis put Calne ahead early on but his goal was cancelled out by Sam Collier who headed Biddestone level midway through the half.

Lewis regained the lead for Calne with a stunning strike from 30 yards, but back came Biddestone to level for a second time in the game.

Scott Fleming making it 2-2 when he drove home from 20 yards.

There was still time left for Calne to reclaim the lead before half time and when they were awarded a penalty Matt Smart duly obliged by tucking away the spot kick for 3-2.

Calne finally put the tie to bed when Darren Holcombe bagged number four to make it 4-2 and now will be hoping that they can transfer their cup form to the league and they can pick up a few points from their remaining four games as the battle to stave off relegation.

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