Les Phillips Cup - first round

Chard Town 1, Calne Town 2

CALNE Town moved into the second round of the Les Phillips Cup after coming from behind against a disappointing Chard Town side who took an early lead but then went off the boil in the second half, writes Kerry Miller.

The Wiltshire side arrived without leading scorer Stuart Windsor but had a share of the play without troubling Scott Wells-Burr in the home goal.

Then, after Nathan Warren had shown some early skill down the right, a Max Westlake corner fell to Elliot Dyer at the far post and he crashed home the opener on 17 minutes.

Calne replied with a fine move up the slope with Rory Worthington and Shannon Pocock combining to put Joe Williamson in but his effort was well saved by Wells-Burr.

Chard came back, with Westlake having a shot saved at point blank range by Martin Mitchell, but it was Calne who should have levelled when Bill Boakes somehow shot wide from six yards out just before the half-hour mark.

Tom Salter then hit a dipper from 25 yards which Mitchell touched over to close out the half with the Robins a goal to the good.

After the restart Calne upped the tempo and Jamie Norton and Worthington both missed the target before Ryan Tyrell hit a free-kick just wide from a promising position.

It was all Calne and, when a corner was cleared off the line with Wells-Burr beaten, it seemed only a matter of time as Chard were giving away too many free-kicks.

Tyrell blazed another into the bottom field but just past the hour the fight back began as Boakes found room on the right and fed Pocock who tucked the chance away with ease to level the game at 1-1.

Chard got back into it briefly but when Steve Friend went off any real attacking threat disappeared with him and with five minutes left they hit the self-destruct button.

Boakes was given too much room and his awkward shot from 25 yards was parried by Wells-Burr, but it dropped in over his shoulder and the tie was gone.