Football: Departing Winterbourne manager Jones goes out with win over Kingswood (From Gazette Series)

GFA Challenge Trophy Cup: Winterbourne Utd 4 Kingswood 1 (aet)

9:50am Thursday 22nd October 2009 in Yate and Sodbury Sport

WINTERBOURNE'S win over ten-man Kingswood was soured by the news of Stewart Jones’ resignation after 15 years as the club’s manager.

Jones led Winterbourne to the Bristol Premier Combination title in 1995/96, the County League title in 2000/01 and two Hellenic League Division One West titles in 2005/06 and 2007/08.

However, he is now moving to France with his job and assistant Keith Ford is in charge while Winterbourne search for a new boss.

Kingswood started well in the second half and took the lead on 50 minutes when a good move down the left hand side produced a cross which the home defence failed to clear adequately and Paul Eldridge’s powerful shot beat keeper Tom Shepherd at his right-hand post.

When Winterbourne won a free kick just outside the box Paul Bleaken allowed the ball to strike his arm on the way to goal and the referee awarded a penalty kick, and showed Bleaken a second yellow card.

The penalty was struck powerfully past keeper Chris Fox to level the scores at 1-1.

At the start of extra time Winterbourne came out of the blocks and quickly took the lead when a cross from the left saw captain Ben Rhodes react quickest to stab the ball into Fox’s net. Minutes later Barry Dibden struck a post at the other end. An amazing double save by home keeper Shepherd and then a post denied Kingswood an equaliser with six minutes remaining.

Another great save from Fox kept them in the game but the home side now had their tails up and five minutes from time the result was finally sealed when another swift attack down the left saw James Mainstone finish off the move.

A fourth goal from Tom Evans was the final action of the game and who knows what might have happened if the hard working Bleaken had stayed on the field.