SWIFTS 0, RUGBY UNITED 3

A SECOND-half goal spree sent Stourport Swifts crashing out of the FA Cup at Walshes Meadow on Saturday.

Swifts held off sustained pressure after the break in the first qualifying round tie until Rugby's dangerous forward Justin Marsden struck.

Defender Dave Davies was unable to prevent Marsden bursting on to a through-ball on 63 minutes and it needed the simplest of touches to beat keeper Lee Evans.

Swifts fell further behind three minutes later when Evans bundled Dave Pearson over for a penalty and Aaron Shanahan duly converted from the spot.

Honours had been even at the break with dominant defences preventing any real threat to either keeper.

Stourport's Richard Ball was set up after nine minutes by Andy Wright following a long goal-kick.

But Ball fired over and then Wright tried to get on the end of a long free-kick but failed to add enough power to his header.

Ball blazed another shot over midway through before Swifts captain John Newall limped off just before the break.

Moments later, Ball forced the Rugby keeper into a rare save from a powerful low drive.

With Newall off the field, the Stourport defence failed to deal with the pace of Rugby striker Marsden and it was the dangerman who rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute.

There was still a chance for Swifts to bag a consolation but, with the last kick of the game, sub James Wood fired his close-range shot into the side-netting.

Ronnie Sayer, Evans and Steve Ulfig all picked up yellow cards for Dave Titterton's men who suffered their first defeat in three games.

SWIFTS: Evans 6, Jones 6, Ulfig 6, Newall 7 (Mulders 42, 6), Davies 6, Harris 6, Cotterill 7 (Giddings 82), Sayer 6 (Wood 71), Ball 6, Wright 6, WEBB 8. Subs not used: Hawkes, Dunn.

STAR MAN: Craig Webb.

ATTENDANCE: 173.