WILTSHIRE came within 60 seconds of causing a major third round upset before bowing out of the FA County Youth Cup to favourites Birmingham at Melksham Town on Saturday 8 December.

A storming second half comeback had seen the home side overturn a one-goal half-time deficit thanks to substitute Jason Walsh and a calamitous own goal from Anthony Hall.

But Dean Perrow struck a late equaliser for the visitors to send the game into extra-time and Birmingham, winners of the competition in 2000, booked a quarter-final date with either East Riding or Middlesex when Richard Langford netted the decisive goal in the 104th minute.

Wiltshire manager Mel Gingell was crestfallen after seeing his side come so close to pulling off a famous victory.

He said: "I am really proud of the lads. I'm more sick than anything else that we've gone out. In the second half of normal time we had then dead and buried, but just went to sleep at the end and that was costly.

"We've more than matched them and I was really pleased with the players. We've driven for miles putting the side together and I've always said we've got a good squad.

"At the start of the competition, if you'd have said we'd have come all this way and matched a side like that, then I'd have been over the moon.

"But I'm still disappointed that we've come that close to going through and now it's gone."

Gingell felt Langford's extra-time winner should not have been allowed to stand.

He said: "At the end of the day the players didn't decide the game, one of the officials did.

"Their lad looked yards offside and the linesman had put his flag up and then put it down again. I don't know what he was doing, but I suppose you've got to grin and bear that.

"I just felt we were robbed at the end and I'm really, really sad for them. The lads are gutted."

Wiltshire, already without influential skipper Kevin Banks through suspension, were dealt a further blow prior to kick-off when his midfield replacement James Blastland was forced to withdraw from the squad through injury.

After a drab opening, Birmingham took the lead in the 11th minute. Kidderminster Harriers youngster Scott Lower made a strong run down the left flank and centred for Perrow, who beat Melksham Town goalkeeper Jason Grubb with a well-placed shot into the far corner.

Grubb twice denied Perrow as Birmingham enjoyed plenty of possession in a half of few goalscoring opportunities. Salisbury striker Steve Marwood headed Wiltshire's best chance wide on 16 minutes, while Richard Knox saw a long-range effort bobble harmlessly wide of Matt Harris' right post.

The tie came to life with the half-time introduction of in-form Chippenham Town striker Jason Walsh and Melksham midfielder Dave Macey in place of Marwood and Salisbury team-mate Matthew Mallett.

Walsh was paired with fellow Chippenham striker Gary Banks and his pace immediately troubled the visiting back line.

Chippenham's Neil Grant saw a curling 25-yard attempt skim the bar three minutes after the restart, before Birmingham goalkeeper Harris made his first meaningful save of the afternoon when he turned a fierce drive from Walsh round the post.

Kevin Thick fired over after good interplay from Grant and Banks as the hosts pressed for an equaliser, while Grubb produced an excellent stop to deny Hall at the other end.

Devizes Town midfielder and stand-in skipper Ashton Turner saw a powerful drive from the edge of the area flash just wide before Wiltshire deservedly drew level with 20 minutes to go when Walsh stabbed home a right wing Thick corner from close range.

The hosts went in front for the first time on 78 minutes thanks to a bizarre 40-yard own goal from Hall.

There appeared little danger as the centre back lobbed a backpass to Harris from just inside the Birmingham half, but the goalkeeper completely misjudged the bounce and could only look on in horror as the ball trickled into the net.

Harris immediately atoned for his mistake when he produced a brilliant stop to deny Walsh, while substitute Macey curled a free kick just over as Wiltshire went in search of the killer third goal.

But it never materialised and Birmingham, defeated in the final by Northampton last year, kept their proud record in the competition intact when Sutton Coldfield striker Perrow latched onto a long ball from Hall and volleyed into the top corner of Grubb's net in the third minute of stoppage time.

Buoyed by the let-off, the visitors seized the initiative in the first period of extra time. Perrow came close to completing his hat-trick on three occasions before Langford beat the Wiltshire offside trap to score past Grubb at the second attempt.

Victorious Birmingham manager Martin Sweeney praised the Wiltshire performance.

He said: "They did themselves proud, but I didn't think we played as well as we could. In the end we played our get out of jail free card with that excellent goal.

"We are not used to losing in the earlier rounds and went into it with the wrong attitude. Wiltshire took full advantage and looked hungrier than us."