Frome’s FA Trophy dreams end in penalty shoot-out heartbreak

Frome Town were knocked out of the FA Trophy on penalties after a determined display in a 1-1 draw with Havant and Waterlooville.

A goal apiece in the last ten minutes of normal time saw the cup tie go straight to spot kicks after James Ollis responded to Alfie Whittingham’s breakthrough for the visitors. But the Robins fell agonisingly short, Havant progressing after Joe O’Loughlin’s sudden-death penalty was saved by the Hawks’ keeper Ben Dudzinski.

Only two Saturdays prior, Danny Greaves’ side had capitulated to a 5-0 defeat away at Havant in the league, another stern reality check for the BA11 fanbase who had swiftly become all too aware of how difficult life could be at Step 3 in the non-league pyramid.

A vital point gained at Hungerford 11 days before, the opportunity for several training session and the advent of a competition where the Robins had shone last season seemed to have girded the squad in the first half.

Both sides began cautiously. Curtis Jemmett-Hutson was twice on the receiving end of forceful challenges, both incidents demonstrating that this was going to be an arduous afternoon. Frome were disciplined, several times refusing to become flustered by the Hawks’ direct approach. The wind did not dissuade the side in white and blue from firing probing balls high up the pitch to test skipper-for-the-day Pierce Mitchell, while Matt Wood and Warren Maidment coped with the deliveries in from the flanks as the gusts swirled.

There was little between the sides, neither able to cause any real jitters among opposition defenders before the break. Each side went close from a direct free-kick, Marcus Day’s flying just wide and goalkeeper Kyle Phillips shooing away an exquisite 30-yard effort by the visitors. The Hawks’ form on the road had been poor, their 5-1 defeat at neighbours Sholing the latest result in a poor run of just one away win so far this season.

The BA11 side warmed into their role quickly after the break, seeking to be proactive and make use of an increase in possession. For portions after the break there was palpable uptick in tempo and the Robins prospered, not least when Jemmett-Hutson’s spectacular curling crack at goal was parried away by Dudzinski.

Their spell of influence came to an abrupt end when substitute Albie Hopkins was struck in the face by the ball chasing down his man, the winger later forced from the pitch. Havant went through the gears and forced the opener, Whittingham allowed to charge into the box from the right and bundle in the only defensive error of note across the 90 minutes.

Heads did not drop, but time was of the essence. A neat exchange of passes saw Ollis tap in from the maddest of scrambles on the goalmouth. Doubt over whether the ball had crossed the line and made contact with the defender’s hand was removed when the referee gestured that the goal stood and dished out one in a succession of bookings.

A draw after the allotted 90 meant the tie went straight to a shootout and hopes of a repeat of the scenes against Worthing last November. This was a pageant of perfectly-taken penalties, James Ollis’ effort the only one that was nearly saved until O’Loughlin, the last man up, placed his too close to Dudzinski who duly saved to send his side through to the First Round proper of the competition.

It was a showing that was worlds away from the miserable afternoon on the South Coast and the embarrassment of crashing out of the FA Cup against Larkhall last time out at Badgers Hill. Strides have been made by Danny Greaves’ side who now have only their league campaign to focus on, their next assignment against Basingstoke at home next Saturday.

On another day, the lottery of penalties could have swung the Robins’ way and another fabled cup win might have been added into the BA11 chronicles. What was glaringly obvious to those in attendance was the improvement in attitude from the players and the bagfuls of commitment on display throughout the duration was unmistakeable – plenty of cause for optimism even for the doubters.

Match report by Zeb Baker-Smith.