Batten double can’t prevent Trophy exit

Despite two Jack Batten goals City exited the FA Trophy this afternoon with a 3-2 defeat to Chertsey Town at Twerton Park. Twice City led thanks to the centre-back but the Southern League Premier South side fought back to secure a place in the 3rd Round draw.

City enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges with Josh Phillips cutting inside before curling a 9th minute shot narrowly wide. Two minutes later he repeated the trick, this time forcing Smith to divert his effort away for a corner. In a sign of things to come Batten rose highest from a 24th minute Joe Raynes corner but failed to get his header on target this time. The free scoring visitors had been well-marshalled by City’s backline but did show a glimpse of their threat on 35 minutes when Knight shot narrowly wide.

The deadlock was broken nine minutes into the second half when Kieran Parselle knocked a Raynes corner back into the danger area and Batten reacted quickest to stab the ball home. The Curfews levelled with 20 minutes left when Harvey Wiles-Richards parried an initial shot but Knight fired the rebound into the top corner. Nine minutes later City made it 2-1 with Batten bravely getting onto the end of Danny Greenslade’s free-kick to head past Smith. Five minutes later a brilliant turn in the box by Phillips looked certain to end in a goal but he slipped at the vital moment and, bizarrely, as he regained his footing and possession, the referee stopped play to book him for simulation. Chertsey took full advantage of this escape a minute later when Little was slipped in before firing a shot across Wiles-Richards into the net. And in the final minute they won the tie when Knight’s cross was headed home by Mazzone.