Farnham Town 0, Lingfield 0

(Lingfield won 4-2 on pens)

BATTLING Farnham Town were knocked out of the Surrey Premier Cup at the Memorial Ground on Tuesday night in the cruellest way possible.

But despite the heartache of losing in a penalty shootout after an absorbing game, Town can take a lot of positives from their display against a top-half side who play in a higher division.

And if they can carry that same grit and spirit into their remaining league games then a realistic tilt at promotion back to the top table of the Combined Counties League could well be back on despite a recent dip in form.

That they were denied a place in the last four via the lottery of a penalty shootout was almost inconsequential as manager Luke Turkington’s fired up charges bent but didn’t break against a decent Lingfield side who are enjoying a good season in the Southern Combination League.

And that in itself was a major plus after Town’s previously rock-solid back line had shipped eight goals in their two previous league games, especially considering Town saw influential right back Max Meaton hobble off after just ten minutes to be replaced by the industrious Jack Falvey.

The experienced Bruce Harper was particularly impressive at the back, using his positional nous and strength to snuff out many a Lingfield attack.

Sure Lingfield had their moments, not least when Richard Wetton fired over the crossbar on 48 minutes when he seemed certain to score and on 65 minutes when Sammy Clement saw his penalty saved by Town goalkeeper Harry Birchnall low to his left after the home shot-stopper had been penalised, but that’s to be expected playing a side from a higher league.

But it was far from one-way traffic and gutsy Town gave as good as they got, with early sub Falvey and Matt Glass causing Lingfield all sorts of problems with their lively play.

Glass, in particular, was at the heart of Town’s best attacks, working well on the right, while Otis Taylor often looked to catch Lingfield on the hop with some clever balls over the top looking for Kylo Atkinson and Glass.

And buoyed by Lingfield’s penalty miss, Town sensed blood and threw everything they had at their visitors, using both flanks well and showing a decent amount of composure in the middle of the park. And it almost paid off as Falvey’s speculative shot from distance wide on the right was tipped over the bar by the Lingfield goalkeeper, Jordan Page warmed the keeper’s hands with a low curling effort and Glass sliced wide when well place inside the area as Town poured forward.

Farnham did have the ball in the net on 71 minutes after a great run by Page found Glass who lobbed the ball into the path of Atkinson to poke under the on-rushing goalkeeper but the effort was ruled out for offside.

And so to penalties. Kay Conteh, in only his second match back after breaking his arm in November, gave Town the perfect start, confidently smashing the ball high past the keeper but Atkinson skied his effort well over the bar and Harry Oakley saw his kick saved low to the keeper’s left. And Page’s cool effort proved to be too little too late as Lingfield clinically despatched all four kicks to ease into the last four.

Farnham Town: Birchnall, Meaton (Falvey), Smith, Conteh, Harper, Oakley, Atkinson, Nash, Taylor (Sharratt 84), Glass, Scurfield (Page 46).