FAIRFORD Town came from behind to secure a place in the second round stage of the Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup with a 2-1 win at Abingdon United on Tuesday evening.

The game saw the tables turned on the opening league game of the season when the two teams met; with the visitors this time coming out on top of what was a highly entertaining and competitive 90 minutes of action.

Played on a carpet of a pitch, the two sides got the ball down early with Fairford coming up against a well organised and fast-paced Abingdon outfit, often sparked by the lively Shanda Gila. It was the hosts who found a deserved opener, with Harry Taylor breaking clear and rounding Ben Mitchell with 20 minutes played. The goal was the first time in any game to date in 2016/17 that Fairford had conceded first.

The visitors found their rhythm after the half-hour mark with Dan Drewett, Jack Ellis and Dan Hale all finding space and opportunities before the interval.

There was a fast start to the second half and just three minutes in, after a cross from the left by Jason Milhench had been half cleared, Drewett arrived to larrup a left footed swinger into the roof of the net.

Fairford’s had found momentum and when Ellis saw his 25-yard stunner sink into the bottom corner of the net, the Reds never looked back. Matt Boucher and Sam Ockwell both entered the fray in the closing stages to shore up what had been a hard-earned advantage – that ultimately proved enough to see Fairford’s interest in the Floodlit Cup continue.

F/T: Abingdon United 1 Fairford Town 2

Fairford Town: Mitchell; Chilcott, Saunders, Dainton, Hall; Drewett, Cordery, Blackford, Milhench (Ockwell ‘; Ellis, Hale (Smith ’46)

Subs not used: Mepham, Jackson