CHIPPENHAM Town’s memorable FA Cup run was ended at the second-round stage on Sunday following a thumping 6-1 defeat away to League One Burton Albion.
Having made it as far as any Bluebirds team ever has in the club’s 135-year history, Gary Horgan’s men battled bravely throughout and were beaten by more goals than they perhaps deserved to be.
Deji Oshilaja and substitute Sam Winnall scored a brace each, while former Swindon Town loanee Jonny Smith and Bobby Kamwa each netted a solitary goal.
On-loan Swindon striker Harry Parsons gave the travelling faithful a superb goal to cheer at 3-0 down, but it was not to be Chippenham’s day as the Bluebirds bowed out in Derbyshire.
First-round hero Joe Hanks missed out on the squad altogether due to an ankle injury he sustained against Hastings United in the FA Trophy the weekend before. Otherwise, Gary Horgan was able to name his strongest XI featuring a number of players with various Football League appearances under the belt.
Burton made three changes to the side which drew 2-2 against League One leaders Plymouth Argyle eight days prior. Captain John Brayford returned from injury while Davis Keillor-Dunn and winger Smith both started.
Chippenham made it through the opening 15 minutes unscathed, although they could have been behind during that period after Burton saw a goal ruled out for offside.
The hosts almost executed a slick training-ground move from a free-kick in which four or five Burton players dummied taking the set piece. Smith, who was the penultimate player to run over the ball, received it down the left edge of the box before slipping it over for Victor Adeboyejo, who was offside.
The Bluebirds held out for almost half an hour before their resolve was finally broken. Kamwa ran at his man down the left edge of the box and clipped a ball into the middle which was eventually laid off for Smith to place into the top corner.
Adeboyejo headed a glorious chance over prior to being denied via an excellent save by Will Henry moments later.
As the Bluebirds aimed to reach half-time without further punishment, they fell just minutes short of doing so as Burton added a second. Alex Bray's attempted clearance rebounded off a yellow shirt and into the path of Oshilaja. He dribbled along the by-line before reaching Henry, sitting the goalkeeper down, and shifting the ball onto his left before slotting the ball into the net.
Adeboyejo thought he had made it three inside four minutes of first-half added time, but once again the linesman’s flag denied him.
In the early moments of the second half, and just as the Bluebirds were growing in confidence, Burton hit them with a sucker-punch to net a third. Keillor-Dunn scurried away from Bray and down the by-line before picking out Kamwa to slam in from close range.
But on the hour mark, Chippenham scored the goal which would have meant so much to everyone at the club. A deep free-kick was taken short but worked back into the middle before a cute pass was slipped into an unmarked Parsons 12 yards out. The Swindon loanee showed impressive composure to steady himself and slot the ball into the bottom right corner, causing bedlam among the 700 away fans behind the goal.
As both sides traded half-chances, Burton added a controversial fourth with 12 minutes to play. There was a clear foul on a Chippenham player around 30 yards out from Garratt's goal, but after it wasn’t given, Burton scampered up the other end to add a fourth through substitute Winnall.
The same man then added a fifth following Tom Hamer’s third assist of the day six minutes later. A simple low cross from the right was poked in at the near post by the former Derby County striker.
The scoring was complete in the final minute of normal time after Oshilaja thumped a wonderful strike into the top left corner from outside the box.
BAFC starting XI: Garratt, Brayford ©, Borthwick-Jackson, Oshilaja, Mariappa, Keillor-Dunn, Smith, Adeboyejo, Taylor, Hamer, Kamwa.
BAFC substitutes: Sinisalo, Butcher, Powell, Winnall, Onyango, Ndaba, Lakin, Niemczyk, Dodoo.
CTFC starting XI: Henry, Hamilton ©, Minturn, Richards, Gunner, Fasanmade, Bray, Parsons, Tizzard, Bradbury, Russe.
CTFC substitutes: Jones, Simpson, Santos, Young, Tuodolo, Mehew, Parker, Greenslade, King.
Referee: Benjamin Speddie
Attendance: 2,080 (700)
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