Town seal date with Frome

FA TROPHY: Thatcham win through but Hungerford's bad week continues with exit at Yate

Thatcham Town 2 North Leigh 1

THATCHAM will carry West Berkshire's FA Trophy hopes to Frome Town on October 22 after Saturday's Preliminary Round win at Waterside Park.

Two goals in the opening 15 minutes secured the tie before the rhythm of the game was upset by the sending off of Thatcham's Mark Hughes, and later the dismissal of the visitors' James Organ, both after picking up two silly yellows.

Thatcham struck after nine minutes when Hughes was cut down in the box on a forward surge and James Clark scored from the spot.

And they netted again five minutes later when Scott Rees took a quick throw and Sean Cook turned sharply to score from 20 yards out.

Hughes was dismissed on the stroke of half-time for a foul on Morgan Williams, and Leigh's Organ twice clattered into Rees after the interval to earn his sending off.

There were few clear-cut openings after that as Thatcham pocketed the £2,000 winner's purse and a place in the next round.

Yate Town 2 Hungerford Town 1

HUNGERFORD'S dismal week continued as they followed their midweek FA Cup exit by bowing out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle.

A last minute goal from Russ Church denied Hungerford even a replay after they had hit the woodwork four times during the match.

Yate had struck first after 10 minutes when new signing Dave Stone shot past goalkeeper Stuart Wood.

Jon Boardman was denied by the woodwork and a goal-line clearance, and a Carl Self effort hit the bar, cannoned back and did the same thing before Hungerford finally equalized when Youssef Bamba's corner was headed into his own goal by Scott Thomas.

David Murphy should have won it when left in the clear, but again his shot ricocheted off the bar, and it was Church who got the decisive touch to a cross to seal Hungerford's fate.

They now face the task of putting knock-out woes behind them when they return to league action at home to Tiverton Town on Tuesday night.