The Cherry Red Records Challenge Cup
Round 3
Abingdon United 1 Highworth Town 0
Saturday, 30 November 2002
Abingdon United moved into their second semi final of the season with a hard earned win against a side that had beaten them 2-5 only a few weeks ago.
The first half saw the visitors controlling midfield and speedy runs breaking through to threaten the home goal. As early as the 7th minute Joyce fired over for Town with United stretched. Soon after Belcher curled a shot just over the bar. On quarter of an hour a glorious chance was spurned as Miller was given the ball with time to pick his spot from 10 yards out and he completely missed the goal. Abingdon couldn?t mount any real pressure on the Town goal and it looked only a matter of time before they would fall behind. Carl Wilkins saved United after 30 minutes when Highworth were awarded a free kick 20 yards out. As the referee was making the defensive wall go back 10 yards, Joyce took the kick. The ball was curling round into the goal but Wilkins was alive to the danger and dived full length and got his fingers to the ball to direct it away for a corner.
Half Time: 0-0
This was, as they say, a game of two halves. The Abingdon manager changed the midfield approach and they marked the opposing playmakers a lot tighter and got their tackles in early. Highworth?s creativity had been stifled and the game was now even with few opportunities for either team. The only goal came as Chris Hooper broke the deadlock within 2 minutes of the second half starting. A drilled in corner was met at the near post and his glancing header flew into the net. Most of the half was a midfield battle with both teams neutralising the other and little action until Town threw men forward late on in attempt to rescue the tie. With a quarter of an hour to go De-Sando unleashed a shot that skidded on the wet surface and Wilkins was unable to hold it but palmed it around the post. United reacted and Darren Beckett outpaced the visitors rearguard to send in a low ball to the far side of the goal which Ryan Curtin met which a vicious shot. King threw himself across the goal line and was fortunate as the ball hit his body and bounced away. With a couple of minutes to go Frankie Dorrian got space, as Town pushed men forward, to take on the keeper one on one and could have made the game safe but put his effort wide.
Abingdon then played out the remaining time with no more concerns to move into the Semi-Final.
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