TENBURY Town and United both saw their final hopes of silverware this season dashed as they were knocked out of the Worcestershire Minor County Cup at the quarter-final stage.

United lost 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw at home to Malvern Vale, while ten-man Town – who had Ian Patterson sent off for a second successive game – were beaten 3-0 at FC Wickhamford.

Town manager Keiran Fish felt Patterson’s dismissal for two yellow cards inside half an hour was harsh but admitted his side were below-par.

Fish said: “He played the ball but the momentum from his tackle took him into the player and it looked worse than it was. But the referee was shocking for both teams.

“We were only 1-0 down at that stage and we weren’t playing well but they were giving us a lot of chances. But we couldn’t put the ball away and Callum Gittens had one cleared off the line.”

United, meanwhile, were left to regret not making their superiority count against Vale, with joint boss Aaron Morris lamenting: “It should have been done and dusted before we got to penalties.

“I should have scored with a free header at the back post and we had two or three other chances that wouldn’t go in.

“The last 20-25 minutes they were happy to go to penalties. If there had been extra time, I think they would have been spent – they were on their last legs and had lads going down with cramp.”

Morris, Chris Patton, Mark Boucker and Jordan Morris scored in the shoot-out but, crucially, Sam Williams’ spot-kick was saved.