Milford United 1.

Monkton Swifts 2.

(After extra-time).

Second division Milford United were only three minutes away from causing a major cup upset at Marble Hall against high-flying first division rivals Monkton Swifts.

Central defender Ben Jones volleyed in a timely 87th minute equaliser, much to the relief and delight of the visitors.

Then came some cruel luck for the courageous Robins, some woeful defending in the second period of extra-time allowed striker Lewis Davies to nod in the winner. Robins’ keeper Jason Rickard should have dealt with the highball in the box, but he didn’t and the unlucky hosts were punished fully by being dumped out of the cup.

The visitors were hot favourites to win this cup-tie, but the heavy rain and gale force winds at Marble Hall really levelled matters.

The Robins must have felt this was a golden opportunity to take the game to the Swifts, and that’s exactly what they did.

The hosts took the lead around the 26th minute. Diminutive livewire striker Chris Thompson got in behind the Swifts’ defence and wasted no time in hammering his right-footed shot into the roof of Chris Manning’s net.

It was no more than the Robins deserved and they should have added to their goal tally as they went into the interval with this slender one-goal cushion.

In the second period both sides battled against the atrocious conditions without much joy.

Robins’ William Goodall can count himself lucky not to score into his own net on two separate occasions, in the first period he hit the post and in the second period, clearing a goalmouth scramble he hammered the ball against the crossbar. On another day it could have been a different story.

But as the Robins looked home and dry, up popped Ben Jones with a timely equaliser and then Lewis Davies added insult to the Robins’ battered pride by heading an extra-time winner.

In a few week’s time both sides will meet again at the same venue in the Senior Cup – the Robins will surely be gunning for sweet revenge against last season’s beaten finalists.

Milford United: Jason Rickard, Anthony Patterson, Chris Davies, Lee Dennison, William Goodall, Rob Jones, Ashley Mathias, Simon Rutherford, Chris Thompson, Andrew Turner, Michael Cooper. Subs: Justin Harding, Martin Mathias, Jordan Harding.

Monkton Swifts: Chris Manning, Ben Nicholas, Daniel Scourfield, Daniel Hart, Ben Jones, Jamie Callan, Marcus Taylor, Clem Boswell, Lewis Davies, Dean Busby, Jonny Hyde. Subs: Jodie Hearne, Sean Jones.

Referee: Huw George.