AFC STONEHAM 0 CIRENCESTER TOWN 7.

THIS scoreline wasn’t supposed to be in the script …

It was, after all, AFC Stoneham’s big FA Cup day.

The potential for a mini giant killing, perhaps ?

A grassroots community club, fresh from two notable preliminary round victories, paired at home against an established non-League club, who only three seasons ago were mixing it with the likes of Poole Town and Weymouth in the Southern League Premier Division.

If defeat was to be the outcome, then the storyline might have read of a gallant, battling exit from the historic competition, writes Mike Vimpany.

Alas, it didn’t turn out that way; quite the reverse, in fact.

A goal behind inside the opening 90 seconds, Stoneham’s fairytale FA Cup run was virtually over midway through the first half when they trailed 3-0.

It was damage limitation for Stoneham after that.

Unable to live with the pace of their Gloucestershire visitors, they were clinically picked off by an impressive Cirencester Town side that, in AFC Stoneham manager Tim Cole’s words: “Probably converted seven of the nine chances they created.”

He added: “I think the occasion got to the lads a bit. We had a very busy week with the FA Cup coming to the ground and all the media interest and publicity that surrounded it.

“We had to make a good start, but Cirencester put their first three chances away and once they did that we were struggling.”

A tight defence has been the bedrock of AFC Stoneham’s successes in recent seasons, but against Cirencester they were ruffled and uncertain, a series of schoolboy errors allowing the visitors to take command from the start.

Tommy Anderson burst down the right to open the scoring inside two minutes, doubled Cirencester’s lead with a far post tap-in and then turned provider for the influential Alan Griffin to give the visitors a 3-0 interval lead.

Cirencester, who are expected to be among the leading challengers to local trio AFC Totton, Blackfield & Langley and Winchester City in Evo-Stik Division One South this season, put the game beyond Stoneham’s reach with the first of a second half hat-trick by Ben Whitehead soon after the restart.

The shaven-headed Griffin, a thorn in Stoneham’s side all match, headed the fifth before Whitehead’s brace completed the scoring.

During the closing stages, Stoneham played their best football as they worked the ball across the pitch, but despite getting several shots away they seldom looked like getting on the scoresheet.

Cole remained upbeat despite the defeat.

“The lads have worked their socks off all week and this one setback isn’t going to define our season,” he forecast.

“Our ambition is to win or get promoted from Wessex One.

“I can’t knock the lads. They’ve been brilliant all season.

“It’s been been a real great roller coaster which had to come to an end sometime.

“You always learn by defeat and ultimately it will be good for us.

“It’s good playing against good teams. It identifies where our cracks are and in the end I’m sure it will make us a better team.”

AFC Stoneham: Williams, Stupple, Clarke, Palmer, Anteney-Wright, Bainbridge (Manning 60), Sutherden, Caballero (Clark 60), Brady, Welch, Harris (Jiminez).