DEVASTATED, deflated and distraught were just three of the adjectives that best described the feelings of Andy Robbins after his Pershore Town side had missed out on a place in the Endsleigh Challenge Cup Final.
It was the second successive season that Robbins had seen his hopes of Midland Combination knockout glory dashed after his Littleton side lost out to Atherstone Town in the final 12 months ago.
The Adders were lying in wait for the winners of last Saturday's semi-final second leg at Feckenham's Valley Stadium and they had to wait until a penalty shoot-out finally separated two evenly matches teams.
Pershoe twice led only to concede a third goal five minutes from the end of extra-time.
Simon Judge then fluffed his side's opening penalty and, with Feckenham scoring all their spot-kicks, Robbins and assistant Tim Davies were left reflecting on another near miss.
"It was a cruel way to lose out," Robbins admitted. "They're a club near the top and we've played well in both matches but that doesn't take away the disappointment.
"The only consolation is to look at how far we have come since I took over but expectations are higher now and Saturday was a great chance to book another cup final date."
Robbins, though, admitted that if he had known that he would lead the King George's side to a final and semi-final when he took over, then he would have been more than satisfied.
The sides were locked at 1-1 after the first leg but Feckenham took the aggregate lead before Tim Beattie levelled on the day.
Andy Hodgetts made it 2-1 to Pershore in the second half only for the visitors to let in a sloppy second moments later and take the game into overtime.
Beattie blasted in a beauty from 20 yards eight minutes into extra-time and but tiredness took hold of a depleted Town outfit and Feckenham took advantage to make it 3-3 with five minutes left on the watch.
Judge's miss added to Pershore misery and Feckenham's failure to miss the target booked them a date with Atherstone.
Town do have a final to look forward to when they travel to Bromyard Town on Tuesday, May 9 for a date against Malvern Town in the Worcester Royal Infirmary Cup.
It was back to Premier Division action on Tuesday night when Town won 1-0 at Cadbury Athletic.
Jamie Bird fired in the first half winner from 40 yards on a night when the introduction of Dan Finnegan and Matt Atkinson plus the return of Mark Gledhill and Chris Wright pepped up Pershore
Fixture for tonight (Thursday)
Pershore Hospital Minor Cup
Semi-final: Alderton v Bengeworth Spts (Pershore Tn FC, 7).
Saturday
Southern League
Premier Division: Evesham Utd v Mangotsfield Utd.
Midland Combination
Premier Division: Pershore Tn v Barnt Green Spartak.
Evesham Hospital Junior Cup
Semi-final: Littleton v Malvern Tn Res.
Gloucestershire Northern Senior League
Division Two: Bredon v Newton Heath.
Cheltenham League
Division One: Kings AFC v Winchcombe Tn. Division Two: Cheltenham CS Res v Bredon Res. Division Four: Winchcombe Tn Res v Kings AFC Res. Division Five: Cheltenham Saras IV v Bredon III.
Monday
Midland Floodlit Youth League
Southern Division: Pershore Tn v Redditch Utd.
Thursday, April 13
Midland Floodlit Youth League
Southern Division: Alvechurch v Pershore Tn.
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