IT WAS a sense of déjà vu for Chippenham Town manager Mark Collier on Tuesday night as he watched his young side crash out of a second cup competition in four days.

Collier again saw his side have a hatful of chances in the first half but they only netted once through Mark Preece.

In the second half, the nerves started to take hold of the Bluebirds’ young side and Paulton snatched the win a minute from time when substitute Mike Bryant scored from close range.

“It was a bit of the same old story really. We played well in the first half and created numerous chances but only took one,” said Collier.

“In the second half we started to feel edgy because we hadn’t put the game away and we lost our shape, so overall I am disappointed with the second half.

“At half-time there wasn’t too much of a problem, we just needed to keep the ball a little bit better.

“But we have got a young squad and when the goal goes in they lose their shape and they forget to do the easy things well.

“We have got the senior players in the squad but a lot of them are injured at the moment and you miss them because they know when things are going well and when things are going badly, to batten down the hatches and see it out.”

Preece headed home from a James Guthrie corner for his first goal in a Bluebirds shirt.

Paulton equalised a quarter of an hour from time when Elliott Gibbons' shot was deflected past Kent Kauppinen, before Bryant won the game for the visitors a minute from time when he touched in a cross from close range.

There was a silver lining for Chippenham when Alan Griffin, who has been out with a long-term knee injury, took to the field for the final 20 minutes of the game.

“We managed to get him some minutes on the pitch in the last 20 minutes,” Collier added.

“He has only had a couple of little training sessions and it is good to get him back onto the pitch.

“To have him back in the dressing room will be a massive boost to everyone.”

Collier’s hunt for a striker is still on-going, with Cinderford striker Ethan Moore on the radar as well as several others as Chippenham continue their search for attacking reinforcements.

“We’ve spoken to a few strikers but sometimes when we make them an offer, nine times out of ten, their club will match that offer and the player will stay,” said the Hardenhuish Park boss.

“We have made an approach for Ethan Moore at Cinderford and are having some conversations with others.”