Southam United exit Coventry Charity Cup at semi-final stage

Southam arrived at the Sphinx in confident mood, coming off the back of an excellent 4-0 away win at FC Bristol in the league, recently installed management duo Lee Petch and Lee Walkinshaw found their young charges brimming with confidence. The glittering prize of a potential final at the Coventry Building Society arena lay tantalisingly within reach, and with only Solihull-based Hampton FC standing in their way, the Saints kicked off this semi final in damp but mild conditions under the floodlights.

It was in the seventh minute that the early pressure told, Josh Dixon finding himself in space after a left-sided throw in from Kyle Linford, turning well and letting loose an exocet of an effort which sailed over the Hampton keepers' clutches to nestle into the right-hand corner, sending the attendant travelling Southam support into raptures.

In the thirty-fifth minute Hampton made their mark. A characteristic long ball out of defence splitting Watkin and Bourne at centre half, seeing Lewis Hudson charging from his line to challenge for the ball and clattering the Hampton forward in the process. The referee was in little doubt and pointed immediately to the spot, drawing the ire of the travelling Southam support. The spot kick was successfully converted, the Hampton man smashing the ball past the desperate lunge of Hudson and levelling up the tie ten minutes before the break.

The goalkeeper was in the spotlight once again just five minutes later when a Hampton free kick from the right side of midfield was sent into the mixer, Hudson opting to punch the delivery back out into the crowd. It was easy pickings for the Hampton man, who found himself with the ball at his feet in space and made no mistake, rattling home into the bottom left hand corner from 10 yards, sending the Solihull outfit in for the break with a 2-1 advantage.

It took until the sixty-seventh minute that the Southam second half pressure told, Shane Osbourne popping up in the box to get on the end of a smart delivery from Craig Watkin and poke home to level the tie. Jacob Bourne showed excellent instincts eight minutes later, making a well-timed last ditch challenge to deny a promising Hampton counter-attack. Further opportunities were spurned by Dixon and Watkins to edge Southam in front. Southam were made to rue their profligacy shortly thereafter, the opponents proficiency at set-pieces ultimately proving decisive when a right sided corner was sent looping over everyone to be jabbed home at the far post to settle the tie for Hampton.

Speaking after the match, manager Lee Petch said 'I thought the performance was good enough to win the game, Hampton were very direct from back to front, as well as quick and physical on the second ball. I thought we played some good football, but three isolated incidents cost us; two set pieces and a penalty. Unfortunately, we couldn't convert all of our chances and they did - that’s cup football. We go again Saturday and keep pushing in the league'.