Cheddar went out of the league cup in a way reminiscent of many FA cup games this weekend, with the underdogs getting a result that was not on the cards at the start of the day.

Cheddar knew that these opponents were not going to be a walkover, despite being a division below the Cheesemen, as they had won 6 out of their last eight league games and had knocked out high flying Wells City in a previous round. However Cheddar were rightly confident that they had the ability and players to do the job necessary as they had won their last three league games in a row themselves.

The visitors welcomed back Mike Edmonds and Rob Branch who had missed the previous league game and also had Dave Phillips and Andy Edmonds back from university for this game, but they were missing Jim Hewlett and most importantly, top scorer, Tom Manning, and how they cried out for a bit of Manning’s magic during the afternoon that followed.

The start of the game set the pattern for much that followed, Cheddar taking all the territorial advantage but resolute defending kept them at bay. An early tactical change saw Tim Richens switch from the 4-4-2 formation to 3-5-2 to match up with the system employed by their opponents, this gave Cheddar even more attacking options and positions but still little was created. An illustration of how the game was going was that it was 15 minutes before Lawrence Jenkins in the Cheddar goal actually touched the ball!!

Eventually Cheddar started to show some creativity and on the half hour they got a penalty when Tim Moody was tripped in the area and Adam Jones stepped up to slot the ball past the 20 stone plus keeper, but the keeper would earn his revenge later.

Cheddar continued to go forward with no real threat at the back, where Paul Whittaker earned another man of the match award with a combination of solid defence and starting many of Cheddar’s best moves. However right on the stroke of half time Stockwood broke down their left and the ball was crossed across the Cheddar defence, at least three defenders were there but all missed the ball and a shot was hammered home from the edge of the box to give Jenkins no chance, a real mugging just on the whistle.

Cheddar knew they had to step up the game in the second half and within two minutes of the break Tim Moody had a glorious chance from 15 yards out but blazed high and wide. The pattern was set, Cheddar all over their opponents but creating little in the way of clear-cut chances and when they did meeting an excellent opponent in Stockwood’s keeper. Cheddar brought on Lewis Matthews to give some width on the left and he did well but to no avail and then brought on Rob Edwards in the middle and he was superb with his probing passes looking the most likely to break the Stockwood defence down. At the end of 90 minutes there was no more score and so it went to extra time.

Extra time, same pattern, Cheddar looked the only team interested in attacking but awesome defence by Stockwood. Several chances came and went for Cheddar with the closest being a shot by Dave Phillips that beat the keeper comprehensively but came back off the post, the post being square and would probably have been a winner if they were normal round posts!

At the end of 120 minutes it was still all-square and penalties ensued, Tim Richens and Martyn Panes were convinced it was the Stockwood keepers day and so it turned out. Not only did he save two penalties but he also scored the crucial one himself.

So, no cup run for the Cheddar side and rightly the changing room was a quiet place after the game, but with 11 league games to go there is still much to play for including an attempt to better the club’s best ever position of 8th.