FOOTBALL: Shoreham suffer late Vase heartbreak

This was the joint-furthest Shoreham had ever got in the competition, and they did so without playing a home match.

After Saturday's defeat at Colchester-based Stanway Rovers, who play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, Shoreham joint manager Mark Burt said: "We are all bitterly disappointed that the dream is over, and it was a very quiet dressing room afterwards.

"I'm proud of all the lads. They could not have given any more and we deserved a replay. We took the game to them and played exceptionally, and if we had taken them back to ours, who knows what might have happened.

"It was a great experience, we all enjoyed it and the lads are gutted. Everyone can be proud, though. We are a small club with a big heart and pushed them all the way.

"We matched them throughout, and just couldn't quite force a replay. But now we can concentrate on the Senior Cup and are in with a shout in the league.

"The Vase run has given the club some much-needed revenue, which will help fund the facilities like improving the stand and the floodlights.

We need to bounce back from this, and with the spirit and work ethic the squad has, we need to put this defeat behind us and move on."

Neil Kane missed Shoreham's best chance when he fired his one-on-one opening wide on 30 minutes, and Owen Callaghan was unlucky when Rob Boddy's cross struck him and bounced away from goal.

Kane was then denied by a superb last-ditch tackle, before Callender headed an 89th-minute winner to shatter Mussels' dreams of making history.

Shoreham pressed for an injury-time equaliser and, in the last minute of added time, had a penalty appeal waved away when Darren Annis went down in the penalty area.

Stanway will now travel to St Ives in the last 32.

Shoreham will be without defender Dan Jordan for up to a month with a groin injury. He was injured in the pre-match warm-up at Stanway.

SHOREHAM: Hunter; Mighall, Hurley, Denyer, Groves; Boddy, Taylor, Smith, Callaghan; Annis, Kane. Subs: Strevens (Kane 70), Philpott, Burt, Eastman, Heasman. Att: 100.