FA Carlsberg Vase 4th round

New Mills 2, Witney Utd 1

Witney United fell out of the competition at the fourth round stage for the second season in a row, despite a brave performance in the Peak District on Saturday.

Witney led at the break, but, the strong and physical home side dominated in the second half, and two goals in five minutes proved enough to send Witney packing.

Kicking up the slope in the first half, Witney more than matched their opponents.

After Dean Smith bravely charged down a first minute effort from Nathan Wharton, New Mills's prolific former Altrincham striker Carlos Meakin headed inches wide from a Mark Innes free-kick.

But Witney were to keep 25-goal Meakin quiet throughout the first half, and slowly they gained a foothold in the game.

Their first good chance came just after the quarter-hour when Tom Butler teed up JP Mills, standing in as captain for the suspended John McMahon.

Unfortunately for Witney, Mills's effort sailed wide from the edge of the box.

Mills was again involved in Witney's next move, which saw the visitors have a goal ruled out.

Mills won a ball in midfield in a strong challenge, and combined well with Ben Thompson. With the ball falling to Andy Styles, he had the simplest of tasks of firing into the net.

However, referee Ben Toner chalked the goal out, apparantly spotting a foul on aNew Mills defender in the build-up.

At the other end, the dangerous Meakin dragged a shot across goal, before Witney went in front in a fine move.

Andrew Younie's pace saw him outstrip Peter Band, before setting up Ben Thompson, who cut inside and drilled in a low effort off the far upright.

New Mills had the ball in the net in the 25th minute, but the assistant's flag had long-since been raised and it was ruled out for offside.

Paul Tassell, who had very little to do in the opening 25 minutes, then fumbled a speculative long ball from Syd Pickford, but Stuart Cattell was on hand to hack the ball behind for a corner, while Wharton went close with an effort that was deflected behind.

From that corner, Tassell produced a fine save, diving to his right to beat away Pickford's snapshot.

Six minutes before the break, Witney should have double their lead.

A swift counter-attack up the slope saw Ben Thompson's initial effort parried by keeper Dominic Ingram-Hughes, and in the melee that followed, Younie's effort was blocked, while Anaclet Odhiambo stumbled on the ball as he shaped to shoot.

It was to prove a costly miss as the home side dominated the second period.

Witney huffed and puffed, but could not re-create their attacking play from the first half, and it seemed only a matter of time before the home side equalised.

In the 50th minute, Pickford drilled an effort narrowly wide from 30 yards, and moments later, Meakin's powerful run through the middle set up Pickford again, who dragged another shot past a post.

The impressive Pickford tried his luck again from distance but saw his vicious drive fly just over, but the home side were soon, deservedly, level.

The industrious Tommy Turner, who had been fairly quiet in the first half, ploughed his way past several half-challenges, before rounding Tassell to plant the ball into the opposite corner.

New Mills were certainly looking the stronger by this point.

Meakin and substitute Steve Hall combined well, only for Lee Henderson to block Meakins' chance, and from the resulting corner, Meakin's header hit the bar and was hooked behind again.

It came as no surprise when New Mills gained the lead, Turner again using his strength to muscle his way into the box and finish at the far post.

Witney gave it everything they had to get back into the game, but by now, they were exhausted, and in fact the home side could have made it 3-1 before the end with Hall being denied by a last-ditch Tom Butler challenge when clean through and Turner missing a chance of a hat-trick when he blasted just wide near the end.

As the fog descended, so did the gloom for Witney, who fell at the fourth-round stage for the second successive season.

Witney Utd: Tassell, Smith, Butler, Henderson, Cattell, Styles (Szczukiewicz 61), Odhiambo, JP Mills, Wickens (Harper 72), Thompson, Younie (Byfield 81).

Attendance: 260.

Referee: B Toner.