Chelmsford City 1 Oxford United 3 (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Chelmsford City 1 Oxford United 3

10:56am Monday 1st February 2010

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CITY bowed out of the FA Trophy at the last 16 stage as Jack Midson returned to haunt his old club with two quick-fire goals that sealed Oxford United’s path into the quarter-finals.

But Head Coach Glenn Pennyfather was justifiably proud of his players, claiming: “Things could have been so different.”

Missed chances ultimately cost the Clarets on home turf but Midson’s second-half double built on Francis Green’s opener, with a goal and a miss from two Dave Rainford penalties coming towards the end.

Glenn summarised: “They were a professional team and their concentration was a little bit better than ours. You could see they were full-time as their sharpness and fitness were a shade better, but that’s to be expected.”

Wide-man Marlon Patterson and striker Lewis Smith were missing for the Clarets due to cup ties while midfielder Ollie Berquez sat out injured and centre-half Mark Haines reverted to the substitutes’ bench.

This meant Berquez passed the captain’s armband back to Rainford, who made a return from an ankle knock, while Michael Haswell and Steve Ward slotted into defence and Rob Edmans was selected up-front.

Ricky Holmes could have put his team in front in just the third minute, sprinting into acres of space and bearing down on goalkeeper Ryan Clarke though he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and, from the second phase of the attack, he appealed for a penalty which was waved away.

Both sides traded efforts shortly afterwards, Sam Deering shooting low at custodian Ashley Harrison at the other end while City’s Anthony Cook hooked wide.

Mid-way through the half Holmes was involved once more, providing a corner which Rainford headed into the floor and agonisingly over the head of an unmarked Edmans at the far post.

Holmes also executed a cheeky dribble round Oxford’s right-back from a short corner and cut the ball back where Cook’s final goalbound touch seemed destined for the net until Clarke’s sensational intervention to claw it off the line and out.

These unconverted opportunities came back to haunt Pennyfather’s men towards the end of the half.

Midson played a 37th-minute ball through to Alfie Potter who dragged United’s first real opening low and wide across the face of goal but they did open the scoring two minutes later.

Kevin Sandwith daintily chipped his left-wing cross to the far post where Francis Green arrived to acrobatically beat Harrison.

Perhaps the most crucial moment of the match arrived on 64 minutes.

From a right-wing corner the visitors worked the ball to the edge of the box where Sandwith’s long-ranger could only be cleared as far as Midson, who was handily placed to jump and head into an empty net.

Within two minutes the game was put beyond City’s reach when Midson was deemed to be onside when he received the ball, successfully lobbing Harrison.

At three goals down, Chelmsford just had pride to play for, but were offered hope as a handball gifted Rainford a chance from the spot which he gratefully accepted, slamming into the top corner on 78 minutes.

Another would set-up a grandstand finish so, when a push in the area was spotted by an assistant referee one minute into stoppage time, the crowd took note.

This time Rainford blasted over the bar though a conversion would have been of little consequence, with little time left on the referee’s watch.

Pennyfather added: “I’m very proud of our players today as they tried to pass the ball and do things right on a difficult pitch.

"In the first half we just shaded it with some good opportunities and on another day, if the ball had sat down a little quicker for Ricky he would have tucked it away, which would have put a different complexion on things.

"Full credit to Oxford, though, as they’re a super side and it’s going to take one hell of a team to stop them doing the double of the league and the FA Trophy.”

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