Promotion hopes are shot down (From Free Press Series)

Promotion hopes are shot down

Skenfrith United 0 Wellington Colts 5

ANY hopes of promotion this season have been forgotten after Skenfrith United slipped to their biggest defeat of the season, against a ruthless Wellington Colts side on Saturday.

The defeat leaves them fifth in the Herefordshire Division Two table, and an outside bet of making it to fourth come April, but assistant coach Nick Oxford insists they still have plenty to play for with two cup final places up for grabs.

Skenfrith are still in the quarter-final of the HFA Cup and semi-final of the Ross Cup after another season of fine runs. And if they can beat Howle Hill this Saturday, in the last four of the Ross Cup, they'll be in their fifth final in five years.

"The two cups are what our season hangs on now," admitted Oxford. "The league is really over, but we still have a very good chance in the cups.

"Our record over the past few years has been excellent in the cup competitions and we'll be confident of beating Howle Hill on Saturday to maintain it."

United will need to improve drastically after Saturday's humbling defeat, though. Wellington's young guns - including a string of ex-Wolves and West Brom trialists - always had the upperhand against a surprisingly weak United side, who had beaten their opponents earlier in the season.

With goal machine Darren Bontej once again missing from the side, stand-in striker Dave Tynan and David Elias were under great pressure up front to find the goals.

The chances were there in the opening 20 minutes, but after that, United's breaks on goal became fewer and farther between.

Oxford held his hands high saying it had been a bad day at the office for the side. "On our bigger pitch they were awesome. I wasn't expecting that and to be honest we were quietly confident, but after we conceded two goals we just lost the plot.

"It's a terrible result and I can not see us doing any better in the league now," he said. United's defence did defend hard, but with three at the back they were easily cut open by Wellington's sprightly youngsters.

"They were a quality side, and we just didn't compete enough. By our standards, we were poor," admitted Oxford.

Yet this was a result that could have gone United's way on another day.

Firstly the village side were playing their first game after a long-three-week lay-off, and, secondly, if they'd had taken their chances in front of goal earlier on, Wellington's younger, inexperienced players may have crumbled.

Oxford, though, says the side doesn't intend mulling over what might have been for too long.

"We've got a cup game to aim for now and that has to be where our focus lies," he said. United should welcome back Ian Jones and Richard McDonald to the side for Saturday's game, kick off 2pm.

Manager Paul Brown will also be looking on Richard Harry to continue his impressive form after a convincing debut in midfield against Wellington.