Vase dream turns to nightmare for Moneys

The Copnor club, who had been eyeing a trip to Wembley, ended the fifth-round tie with just eight players after having three men sent off.

Jake Morgan and Jack Lee departed before half-time and Tyler Giddings joining them in the closing stages.

Goals on the stroke of half-time and midway through the second half finally ended the home side’s resistance.

‘It was terrible and a sad way to exit the competition,’ said Moneyfields manager Dave Carter.

‘The referee killed us but we didn’t help ourselves after the first red card, which I felt was harsh.

‘When we had a second player dismissed it left us with a mountain to climb having to play over an hour with nine men.

‘All credit to the players left out there because they worked their socks off.

‘But in the end it proved too much.’

The home side started the tie well.

However, they received a massive setback on 20 minutes when Morgan was shown a straight red card for what the referee deemed a reckless tackle.

‘I felt it was a 50:50 challenge and we were going to get the free-kick,’ said Moneys boss Carter.

Seven minutes before half-time, Lee was given his marching orders after picking up his second yellow card.

And his departure left the home side in dire straits.

The visitors added insult to injury by stealing in to take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

‘All the time it was 0-0 we felt we still had a chance of nicking something,’ said Carter.

‘Even when we were a player down we created the better chances.’

Moneyfields’ fate was sealed on 70 minutes when Aron Robins headed in a second goal for the Western League premier division visitors.

Their misery continued, though, when Giddings saw a straight red card for a robust tackle late on.

‘After we had our first player sent off, we showed a bit of indiscipline,’ admitted Carter.

‘When things go against us we can’t afford to get ourselves into situations with officials.

‘We have to be a lot cleverer than that.

‘We must learn not to make challenges in the wrong areas of the pitch.

‘It is important we learn from this.’