BRACKNELL Town suffered a double heart-break when going out of the FA Trophy to Bognor Regis Town this week, writes Dave Wright.

They conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Larges Lane on Saturday and, after being 2-0 up, they were leading 2-1 until the last few minutes of Tuesday’s replay.

The Rocks then went on win the penalty shoot-out 3-2 with the Robins seeing three spot-kicks superbly saved by keeper Dan Lincoln, the Finchampstead cricketer.

Disappointed Town skipper Dave Hancock tweeted: “To be leading in both games going into the 90th minute and lose the tie on penalties is hard to take, but to push a top side at the level above all the way is a sign of how far we have come as a team. Let’s take the same heart and desire into the league games coming up.”

Although Bognor had struck the crossbar twice in the opening 10 minutes, Bracknell looked marginally the better side in front of their home fans, with Liam Ferdinand and Jamie McClurg scoring either side of a Bognor goal from Jimmy Muitt.

But the Bostik League Premier Divison side kept going until the end and Brad Lethbridge grabbed the equaliser just as the game went into the final minute of time added on by the referee.

The South Central Division leaders got off to a dream start in the replay with Seb Bowerman supplying excellent crosses for Adam Cornell and Ferdinand to head home goals in the fourth and 12th minutes. Ferdinand was also very close to adding a third.

Bognor pulled a goal back through Calvin Davies after 37 minutes and they went on to create the better chances in the second half. But Mark Scott was again in magnificent form in Town’s goal, making three saves from one-on-one situations.

He could do nothing, however, to prevent substitute Jimmy Wild making it 2-2 in the 87th minute and shortly afterwards Joe Gater cleared off the goal-line to deny Bognor a late winner.

Scott continued to keep his side in the game in extra time, but managed to stop only one of the Bognor penalties, while Lincoln pulled off tremendous saves from Bowerman, Ash Artwell and Carl Davies, only being beaten by McClurg and Matt Day.

Bognor are away to Southern League side Walton Casuals in the second qualifying round.

Bracknell return to league action with a home game against Hertford this Saturday and next Tuesday visit Egham in the Velocity Trophy, two weeks after hammering them 7-1 in the league.

Town’s Berks & Bucks Senior Cup tie against Reading, which was postponed due to the replay at Bognor, has been re-arranged for Tuesday, November 27.