Below-par CS sent tumbling out of cup

Feb 24 2009 Staines News

SACFL CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINAL CS United of Staines.3 St Paul's......................6

Table-toppers CS United came crashing down to earth in the SACFL Challenge Cup semi-final against St Paul's on Saturday.

The Staines side looked on track for their league and cup double after racing into a two-goal lead, but will now be fighting on just one front after they were dumped out.

Player-boss Stuart Lewis supplied Mark Taylor for the fifth-minute opener, and Anthony Johnson made it two soon after following good pressure by Duncan Henderson.

However, the home team's floodgates then amazingly opened.

Staines leaked three goals in quick succession to turn the tie on its head and leave them trailing 3-2.

A brilliant solo effort from Luke Wharton, taking the ball past three St Paul's defenders before beating the keeper and squeezing the ball into the net from the tightest of angles, temporarily restored parity.

But a series of corners for the away team paid dividends as they crashed home a header to edge them ahead at the break.

CS threw on Peter Stephens and Jamie Gunning as they tried to steady the ship, but a Darrin Armstrong blunder and a deflected free-kick sealed their fate.

Centre-back Matt Bennett was pipped to the man-of-the-match prize by Scott Rowan.

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