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# Lichfield City see unbeaten run ended in controversial circumstances
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfield-city-see-unbeaten-run-ended-in-controversial-circumstances/
- Published: 2013-01-14T08:54:11.000Z
- Updated: 2013-01-14T08:56:09.000Z
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:24

Lichfield City finally saw their unbeaten run ended as they went out of the Staffs Vase at Hanley Town.

The quarter final defeat was overshadowed by two controversial extra time goals which saw the hosts progress and inflict a first defeat since October 9 on Paul Holt’s men.

[![Paul Holt](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/paulholt.jpg "paulholt")](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2012/09/16/new-lichfield-city-manager-gets-off-to-the-perfect-start/paulholt/)

Paul Holt

Manager Paul Holt admitted it was a “disappointing” end to his side’s unbeaten run, describing it as the worst performance since he took charge in September.

The game started slowly as both sides tried to weigh each other up, with neither keeper being tested in a stagnant opening half hour.

Chances were at a premium as the game became a war of attrition in the midfield, a Lewis Bourne shot and a Kyle Minto header that went over the bar being the only chances of note in a tame first half.

The second period was not much better as both sides struggled to play on a bumpy pitch. A Theo Stair shot that went wide for the home side was the closest Hanley got to opening the scoring, while Lee Ashmore had a glorious chance for City in the dying moments of normal time but fired his shot wide.

Extra time was needed to break the deadlock and the breakthrough come in controversial fashion. A pass on 97 minutes released Stair who looked to be offside, but while City’s back line were waiting for the linesman’s flag to raise a shot was parried by keeper Johnson into the path of Danny Tainton who fired into an empty net.

Lichfield huffed and puffed for an equaliser but never created any worthwhile chances as a subdued Jacob Snape and Minto up front got no change out of the excellent Josh Thorpe in the home side’s defence.

Hanley doubled their advantage three minutes before the end of the first half of extra time when City substitute Danny Worrall lost possession allowing the hosts to break with Tainton returning the favour to Stair who again looked offside when he side-footed home from six yards.

Lichfield’s misery was complete when influential midfielder Chris Milner injured his knee ligaments in the last 30 seconds of the game, while centre half Sam Geffen tweaked his hamstring. Milner is likely to miss two months while Geffen is out of tomorrow night’s league six-pointer against Brocton.