CHIPPING SODBURY suffered penalty shootout heartache as they were knocked out of the Les James Cup.

The deadlock was broken in the 30th minute when Sodbury’s Alex Fox sprung the offside trap to round keeper Duanne Portlock and score. Sodbury continued to press and goal-line clearances from Craig Roberts and Mike Thornton kept the scoreline down to one at the break. Taverners on the hour when Tom Burridge headed home from a corner.

The home side then went ahead after a low drive at goal was handled in the box and Mike Thornton netted the resulting penalty. In the 67th minute Taverners found themselves 3-1 up as a ball into the box was flicked on by Ian Preece and all the defender could do was try to prevent the ball entering the net. In the 80th minute Sodbury made a double substitution with Chris Power and Shaun Alford coming on and within 3 minutes Power had pulled a goal back to make it 3-2. This lifted the visitors, who then levelled the score in the 86th minute as Shaun Halfords cross was neatly headed home at the near post by Paul Harris. In the shootout, Mike Thornton netted the first for the home side, but Lloyd Harding’s attempt for Sodbury was well saved by the home keeper. Burridge then proceeded to miss the second Taverners penalty and Danny Coombes levelled with Sodbury’s second. Craig Mills made it 2-1 to Taverners and Ollie Clark levelled for Sodbury. The home side then went 3-2 up as Matt Spring netted, then Sodbury’s Mike England missed. Taverners’ Paul Jennings but so did Harris to send the home side throu