‘Confidence is low, and you can’t coach confidence’ – Moneyfields suffer shock FA Vase exit at lower division Whitchurch

Tom Cain and Callum Laycock saw spot-kicks saved as the Jam Boys claimed a 4-3 shoot-out victory in the second qualifying round.

Moneys had twice squandered a lead in normal time to be held 2-2 by a side lying seventh in Division 1 of the Wessex League.

It was Moneys’ sixth defeat in their last seven matches, a run which has seen them knocked out of the FA Cup, the Hampshire Senior Cup, the Wessex League Cup and now the FA Vase.

No doubt the latest loss will hurt the most, given that a large chunk of the squad were part of the US Portsmouth side who were a penalty shoot-out away from reaching the Vase final two seasons ago.

Assistant manager Joe Noakes said: ‘That’s the disappointing thing, the lads know how good a run they’ve had before, they got within touching distance (of the final).

‘At the moment confidence is low, and you can’t coach confidence - that will only come with good results.

‘We’re not playing too bad, it’s just a funny five minutes that are costing us goals - that’s an honest evaluation.

‘They had two chances and scored both, we must have had six or seven and scored two.

‘Chad Cornwell twice went round the keeper but saw shots cleared off the line.

‘At the moment nothing is going our way, but we have to keep believing, stick with the system. The stars will align, we’ll be alright, I’ll say that now.

‘Yes, the lads are a bit disheartened, but if football was easy it wouldn’t be worth playing.’

Two seasons ago, US Portsmouth claimed a remarkable six higher division scalps on their way to a barely believe semi-final Vase appearance.

Clearly illustrating how fickle sport can be, some of that squad are now experiencing vastly differing emotions.

Moneys have now been dumped out of two cups they were desperate to do well in by lower division opposition.

Last month they crashed 3-2 at Wessex Division 1 leaders New Milton Town in the Wessex League Cup.

That was bad enough, but defeat to a Whitchurch side recently thrashed 5-0 by Baffins Milton Rovers in the Wessex League Cup is undoubtedly an even tougher result to take.

Josh Hazell and Chad Cornwell twice put Moneys in front at Whitchurch after a goalless first half. But twice the hosts levelled, through Kieran Rodgers and Dec Shuttleworth, before holding their nerve in the shoot-out.

Dec Seiden and James Franklyn converted Moneys’ first two penalties before Cain saw his effort saved. After Jack Lee had also scored, Laycock – who had come on as a second half sub – saw his spot-kick saved too. Whitchurch, who had skied one penalty over the bar, avoided sudden death by netting their fifth spot-kick.

Moneys face a 12th successive away league and cup fixture of 2022/23 at Pagham in the Wessex Premier next weekend.