TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: A STOPPAGE time equaliser denied Bradford United from capturing two prize scalps in the quarter-finals of the Revolutions CafeBar sponsored Knockout Cup.
A Jason Uncles' 78th minute scrambled winner enabled Bradford's Division Two first team to put out Division One and last season's finalists Seend United 2-1; while the club's Division Three second string were seconds away from landing an even greater shock against Division Two title favourites North Bradley Saints.
Teenager Luke Ballinger headed Seend into a 29th minute lead at Culver Close but Will Taylor levelled midway through the second half in which Bradford's Adam Bishop and Seend's Ralph Plummer were dismissed. Uncles' winner gives Bradford a semi-final home date with Broughton Gifford.
Saints' manager Ben Howe freely admitted that Bradford Reserves, and not his lack-lustre title hopefuls, should be lining up against The Deverills in the other semi-final tie.
Gary Williamson's 70th minute strike looked set to put the league newcomers among the best of Knockout Cup giant killers when Chris Fardell headed home Carl Davies' stoppage-time cross. Blushes spared, Saints wrapped the tie up in extra-time through Andy Colebrooke and Fardell.
The Deverills took some 70 minutes to recover from their early problems which escalated when Leyton Brown put hosts Castle Combe ahead after just four minutes.
Three goals in the last 15 minutes from Scott Laidlow, Scott Gallazi and Brett Ball (penalty) earned Deverills a 3-1 victory and a trip to Saints in the semi-final.
In the Premier Training International-sponsored league, Rudloe continued to rattle in the goals but their 5-4 win at Freshford to hoist them to within three points of leaders Gifford with two games in hand the big league showdown yet to come was a highly controversial affair.
Browns Park boss Hugh Fulton was fuming at two second-half incidents. The first could have seen his side sweep into a 5-2 lead when Robin Walker appeared to have been fouled but no penalty was awarded. At the other end Rudloe were awarded a dubious looking spot kick themselves which helped their amazing late recovery.
Two players, Freshford's Dave Birleson and Rudloe's Russell Gibbings, bagged hat-tricks with Stuart Arnold scoring another home goal.
Simon Gray and Gordon Willshire also replied for Rudloe who were without defender Paul Newbury.
Long serving Darren Guy notched Heytesbury a 1-0 first half home winner against Dynamo West End to lift the villagers to within a point of leaders Gifford after the same number of matches.
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