AUSTEN S CUP RUN COMES TO AN END. AUSTEN came into this match after BSCFC Town, who beat Austen in the quarter final, were disqualified for fielding a cup-tied player, but, in the end, their reprieve was in vain as they were beaten by two second-half Ste

AUSTEN'S CUP RUN COMES TO AN END.

AUSTEN came into this match after BSCFC Town, who beat Austen in the quarter final, were disqualified for fielding a cup-tied player, but, in the end, their reprieve was in vain as they were beaten by two second-half Stevenage Colts goals in a close game.

With the booming voice of Ken Marshall missing there was an eerie silence to the start of the match as both sides had an equal share of the play.

Austen's best chance of the half came on twenty-seven minutes when Adagun headed a right wing cross onto the crossbar.

Courtney smashed a well taken Mason-Soards long-range free-kick over the bar and Colts should have scored just before the break but their shot was scuffed wide.

Austen started the second-half well with an Ahmed run down the right seeing the ball fed into the box with pace. Adagun controlled the ball with his thigh and prodded the ball towards goal but the alert Colt's keeper dived onto the ball preventing it form bobbling over the line.

Colts responded with a forty-one minute long-range free-kick that Newport failed to hold and thankfully went off for a corner.

Colts missed a good chance to go ahead with another scuffed shot as the Austen defence failed to close them down.

Colts edged ahead on forty-four minutes with a well taken corner that fizzed low into the box close to goal and was diverted in by a Colts player waiting at the far post.

Colts went close with a superb run through the Austen midfield that ended with a long-range shot that fizzed over the crossbar.

With their noses ahead, and Austen unsettled by an injury to Courtney, Colts began to take control of the game.

After going close with another long-range effort Colts sealed the win with a sixtieth minute strike. Courtney, struggling with an injury, lost the ball in midfield the Colts striker took the ball on and stroked the ball across goal and into the net, with a composed finish.

This was a close game, but after a very close first half, the Colts just edged it in the second and deserved their win. Good luck to them in the final.