Letcombe push Worcester all the way

Letcombe 0-1 Worcester City

Letcombe pushed Hellenic League champions Worcester City all the way but fell to a narrow one-goal defeat in front of a record crowd.

A commanding header from Calvin Dinsley was the difference between the two sides in the Marsh Challenge Cup semi-final.

The hosts more than deserved a goal for their first-half efforts, and will perhaps rue not catching cold a Worcester side that was profligate in front of goal after half-time.

Their performance on the pitch defied their off-pyramid Hellenic Division Two Central status, whilst off the pitch a great atmosphere was created as they welcomed 303 to the scenic Bassett Road – 99 more than their previous record attendance.

After beating four fellow Division Two sides in the early rounds, Letcombe reached the semis by coming from 3-0 down to beat Fairford Town on penalties in the quarter-finals back in February.

Luke Stone’s side have had a fantastic season, winning Division Two Central and reaching two finals already in the Division Two Chairman’s Challenge Cup and the Faringdon Thursday Memorial Cup.

They would have had to defy all the odds to book a third final, but they could have been ahead barely a minute in when Kieran Kerby struck wide after Worcester goalkeeper Haydn Whitcombe had made a save.

At the other end, Kyle Belmonte looked to add to his 39 goals in all competitions this season but he had a shot superbly saved by Harry Whitehead.

Worcester went ahead soon after. After a contentiously-awarded free-kick was awarded, Liam Lockett whipped it from the left-hand side, finding the head of midfielder Dinsley.

It was an ill-tempered first half and Worcester were temporarily down to ten when Kirk Layton was sin-binned. Letcombe made full use of the man advantage. Jordi Davies met a Calum Pyrce cross only for Whitcombe to save, before the keeper somehow got his fingertips to a superb effort from Josh Fowler.

Worcester were rattled, and it briefly continued into the second half. Whitcombe couldn’t hold on to a Davies cross, with Kerby just unable to turn in the loose ball.

Increasingly though, the visitors began to clock up the shots on goal. Elliott Hartley twice shot over an open goal as well as having a goal disallowed for handball, Belmonte hit the crossbar and countless other opportunities to extend their lead passed them by.

Letcombe were under the cosh but had some respite briefly as Fowler, himself on 37 goals this campaign, shot wide and Jack Daley headed wide a corner.

They maybe had a right to feel hard done by when the referee blew the full-time whistle less than a minute into added time, in case they could have fashioned one more chance, but they can look back with pride on their performance. They would more than hold their own at a higher level.

Worcester went some way to make up for missing out in their FA Vase semi last weekend and will slug it out with Corsham Town or Mangotsfield United in the final in a couple of weekends time.

Letcombe (4-3-3): Whitehead; Thomas (Heggie 71’), Mulvey ©, Daley, Mudie (Brew 84’); Webster, Timbrell (Shaw 57’), Davies; Kerby, Fowler, Pyrce. Unused subs: Hendry, Stone, Faircloth, Broad.

Worcester City (4-2-3-1): Whitcombe; Stoddart, Layton, Knight, Mace ©; Dinsley, Lymn; Hartley, Belmonte, Lockett; Hart (Evans 73’). Unused subs: Townsend, Insall, Monteith, Sheehan.

Goals: Dinsley 25’.

Booked: Timbrell 40’; Layton 12’, Dinsley 22’, Stoddart 33’

Sin Binned: Layton 31’.

Attendance: 303.