SPOKESMAN Carl Lambert is counting the cost of Tenbury Town’s 5-1 defeat at Knowle Reserves in the Worcestershire FA Saturday Minor Cup quarter-finals.

Town crashed out of the competition on a quagmire of a pitch and prolific marksman Mark Boucker was helped off after twisting a knee and Chris Patton was also injured.

The duo are facing a fitness battle ahead of Town’s tie at Ewyas Harold Reserves this Saturday in the quarter-finals of the Herefordshire FA Junior Cup.

But Town were delighted to give a first-team debut to Keiran Worthington, who replaced Boucker, two days before his 16th birthday.

A violent hailstorm early in the second half forced the players off the field and, at that point, with Town trailing 2-1, Lambert felt the game should have been abandoned.

“The pitch had several large areas of standing water making football both dangerous and almost impossible,” he said. After consulting the managers the referee was persuaded to continue with the match.”

Dave Coupland fired Town ahead after eight minutes with a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner

But Knowle levelled soon afterwards and took the lead from a disputed penalty after Mike Powell was harshly judged to have fouled an opponent.

Knowle made it 3-1 and compounded Town’s misery with two further goals in the last four minutes.

Lambert added: “Our ever growing injury list is a worry with Boucker and Patton joining Edwards, Farrar and long-term absentee Henry Harvey-Smith.”

Newcastle's home game against Presteigne Reserves was abandoned, with teams level at 1-1, after 24 minutes when a hail storm left the pitch unplayable.

Presteigne player-manager Mark Weiland scored for Presteigne with Craig Morris equalising for Newcastle in the Mid Wales League South match.

Striker Danny Gower is back from suspension for Woofferton's derby against Duncan Morris' Brimfield FC in the Herefordshire FA Junior Cup quarter-finals. Woofferton spokesman Dave 'Magnum' Thomas is praying for dry weather and says Steve Chadd's side can't wait to get back into action.

The wet weather, once again, decimated the football programme in the Advertiser patch las weekend.