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Team Bath make Cup history

Rupert Metcalf
Tuesday 29 October 2002 01:00 GMT
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Team Bath will become the first university team to play in the FA Cup proper for 122 years when they entertain Mansfield Town in the first round next month. The student side rewrote the competition's history books by beating Horsham in a penalty shoot-out in last night's fourth qualifying round replay.

Watched by a crowd of 1,581 at the University of Bath's Sports Training Village, Gary Charman gave the Ryman League visitors the lead in the 15th minute. Matt Lewis, a former Wales youth international winger, equalised for the student side 10 minutes before half-time. There were no goals in the second half or in extra time, so the tie went to a spot-kick shoot-out, which was won 4-3 by Team Bath.

The students, who play in the Screwfix Direct (Western) League Premier Division, will be the first university team to play in the FA Cup proper since both Oxford and Cambridge took part in the 1879-80 season, when Oxford were the beaten finalists.

Team Bath will not be expecting to follow in Oxford's footsteps and go all the way to the final, but they will have some hope of causing an upset against Mansfield Town, who are bottom of the Nationwide League Second Division, especially if they can win the right to keep the tie at their home ground at the University.

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