IT WAS a bitter-sweet Easter week for intrepid cup fighters Tenbury United.

The Herefordshire League Premier Division high-flyers failed in their bid to retain the HFA?Charity Bowl at Wellington last Wednesday night, losing 4-1 in the final to Ewyas Harold.

But on Saturday the Palmer’s Meadow outfit clinched their place in the semi-final of the Clubsport Cup, beating Hinton 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Last Wednesday’s final came just four days after Tenbury had overcome Ewyas Harold 3-1 in the semi-finals of the Senior Cup and 11 days after a 3-3 draw between the sides in the league.

The deposed HFL?champions turned the tables to make it third time lucky and deny United’s bid to keep the Charity Bowl for another 12 months.

Ryan Morris netted Tenbury’s goal but co-boss Aaron Morris conceded: “We paid the price for missing too many chances, whereas they took theirs, but we weren’t really on our game and it was a disappointing night for us.”

But United, already through to the final of the HFL Senior Cup, edged closer to a third cup final appearance this season when they edged out Hinton in Saturday’s spot-kick shoot-out.

Ryan Morris was again on target to cancel out Hinton’s opener in a first half played out in a howling wind, but 90 minutes and extra time failed to separate two evenly-matched sides and it went to penalties.

Aaron Morris, Sam Williams and Mike Foster all converted from 12 yards but when George Pearson missed, it was left level at 3-3 with United having one penalty remaining.

Up stepped match-winning goalkeeper Robbie Farrar, who had saved two of Hinton’s five spot kicks, to send United through and they now meet newly crowned HFL?champions Wellington Reserves this weekend in the semi-finals.

Morris added: “We only need a point from our last two games to finish as runners-up in the league and we will have made it to three cup finals if we can beat Wellington this weekend. Considering our battle against relegation last season, that has to go down as a very good season for the club.”

Tenbury Town allowed a 2-0 lead to slip in sharing the spoils with Herefordshire League Division One leaders Holme Lacy.

Town, 7-4 winners at Holme Lacy earlier in the season, shot into a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from top-scorer Mark Boucker, his 18th league goal of the season, and the talented Declan Bright. But the visitors rallied after the break to level things up at 2-2.