Tomos Shyamapant scored twice of the bench to send Hartpury FC through in the FA Trophy defeating Didcot Town 2-1 at the Loop Meadow on Saturday.
Shyamapant’s brace, either side of a JP Nyuysemo strike, saw the Acorns come out on top of this first qualifying round tie in Oxfordshire. The action took a while to come in this tie with George Sims having the first chance on 17 minutes, but his close ranged header was well saved by Leigh Bedwell in the Didcot goal. The Railwaymen went close on 24 minutes when Cameron Mills effort rebounded back off the post before Tyga Hall saw a looping header fall right into the hands of Acorn’s goalkeeper, Ryan Smallwood. After that, the final chance of the half came on 38 minutes when Riley McGregor struck a free-kick right into the arms of Bedwell seeing the sides head into the break goalless.
HALF TIME- DIDCOT TOWN 0-0 HARTPURY FC
The Acorns started the second period the brighter and had two dangerous chances in the opening five minutes through Vanylson Silva and Nathan Jenkins, but both couldn’t turn home from close range. Smallwood was called into action on 62 minutes making a superb low, unsighted save to deny Nyuysemo effort. Three minutes later, substitute Shyamapant, took just five minutes to find the net after coming on hammering home from close range after his initial header was saved. Shyamapant caused havoc coming off the bench and five minutes later almost had a second but curled his effort the wrong side of the post. Shayamapant was denied a second again on 83 minutes when he went through one-on-one with Bedwell, but the Didcot shot stopper got down well to deny the effort. Nyuysemo thought he had salvaged a penalty shootout for the Railwaymen when he bundled an effort over the line on 88 minutes. But in the fifth minute of additional time, Shyamapant popped up again to follow in a spilled Louis Manning effort sending the Acorns into the next round.
The Acorns return to action next Saturday when we host SC Inkberrow at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium.
FULL TIME- DIDCOT TOWN 1-2 HARTPURY FC
STARTING XI- Smallwood (GK), Kent, Sims, McGregor, Machisa (Kelly 73’), Aldridge, Jenkins, Silva, Bonnick (Manning 36’), Prifti (Coates 60’), Osborn © (Shyamapant 60’)
ATTENDANCE- 176
