Oldham Athletic 4 Chasetown 0

Porter calls time on Chasetown

Defeated, though anything but disgraced, Chasetown finally took their leave of the FA Cup after last night's first-round replay. Superior finishing earned Oldham a home tie against Brentford, Paul Warne setting the tone with a fierce shot and Chris Porter striking twice before Chris Hall's first senior goal closed the scoring.

Porter's second of the match, with 15 minutes left, was a carbon copy of Warne's effort. Hall chipped in with an 84th-minute header from a centre by Paul Edwards, but Chasetown were seldom outclassed and deserved the ovation they received from the Boundary Park faithful.

Chasetown's run had started in August against Causeway United before a "crowd" of 76. As when Oldham visited the former Staffordshire mining community, the team from the Harvey World Travel Midland Alliance soon showed how they had stretched the sequence to 10 games.

Organised when their League One opponents had possession and skilful on the counter-attack, Chasetown comfortably matched a nervy Oldham during the first half-hour.

It was the 25th minute before the first scoring opportunity, and even then, one of the home strikers, Porter, headed wastefully high from a corner kick by Andy Liddell.

Within minutes, Chasetown created a chance from open play, with Nicky Harrison rounding Paul Edwards and crossing for Karl Edwards to glance a header inches beyond the far post. Oldham hearts were in mouths at that point, but they were soon filled with a mixture of rapture and relief.

In the 31st minute Warne cut in from the right and unleashed a left-footed drive from outside the penalty area which left Simon Bryan clawing at air as it tore into the net.

Yet it took a reflex save by Chris Day, thrusting out a foot to keep out Steve Edwards' point-blank header, to prevent Chasetown equalising moments before the break.

Chasetown's Alliance rivals Leamington had held Colchester at bay for eight minutes longer, only to go down 9-1. Oldham never looked capable of such a spree, but they did plump up a two-goal cushion in the 56th minute when Porter turned in low cross from Liddell.

Despite the scoreline, and signs that the full-timers' greater fitness was telling, Chasetown persevered with their neat, composed triangles. Lee Bullimore, a latterday "Bully" from Wolves territory, had a free header on the hour but could not muster sufficient power to trouble Day.

The introduction of Andy Turner, the former Tottenham Hotspur prodigy, was Chasetown's last hope of turning the tie around. It was not to be, but they enriched the Cup with their presence and enriched their coffers to the tune of more than £100,000 along the way.

Oldham Athletic (3-5-2): Day; D Hall, Forbes, Owen; Warne, Butcher, Hughes, Wellens (Eyres, 81), P Edwards; Porter, Liddell (C Hall, 79). Substitutes not used: Cronin (gk), Haining, Beckett.

Chasetown (3-5-2): Bryan; S Edwards, Slater, Thompson; Aulton, Harrison, Harris (Turner, 67), Horler, Whitcombe (Huckfield, 82); K Edwards, Bullimore. Substitutes not used: Taylor (gk), Smith, Bytheway.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).