A CONTROVERSIAL penalty cost Stourport Swifts the Worcester Royal Infirmary Cup final in an extra-time thriller on Tuesday night.
With a 3-2 first leg lead against Dr Martens League Midland Division Bromsgrove Rovers, hopes were high of a trophy at Walshes Meadow.
But Midland Alliance side Swifts were eventually beaten 5-3 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate.
They had extended their overall advantage in the eighth minute when a long Rob Clarke clearance was flicked on by Lee Booth to Matt Southwick, who fired low into the Rovers' goal.
Rovers hit back when Richard Burgess slotted home only for Jan Mulders to grab a second for Swifts when his long free-kick was misjudged by keeper Nore Gabbidon.
But Rovers' long-ball game caused problems and they pulled ahead with a Mark Dearlove own goal plus strikes from Benton and Craig Poutney.
Undeterred, Swifts threatened the Rovers' defence several times before Southwick took the game into extra time a minute from the end with a low 40-yard drive.
Swifts had the better of the exchanges in the first 15 minutes but a controversial Mark Benbow penalty gave Rovers the trophy.
Dearlove was judged to have brought down an already falling Poutney.
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