AFTER constant cancellations and match postponements due to the weather, our first game of 2016 came against Cheltenham at home in the FA Trophy.

A good crowd turned out for the fixture and witnessed an entertaining match as a young side were lucky to leave with the chance of a replay.

Walking off the pitch, we were disappointed we had not won the game. Twice we had led in the match, only to see it slip away within the last few minutes.

We dominated possession and created more chances, but our failure to protect our lead means we now have to play Cheltenham again in an upcoming midweek fixture.

The opening ten minutes may have showed we had not played a game in three weeks as we struggled to get out of our own half.

Capitalising on our rustiness, the away side came close to scoring when their young striker ran through on goal and should have scored. However, his poor effort slid wide of the post as we breathed a sigh of relief.

After the early scare, our nerves settled and we dominated the rest of the half.

With Matt Bevans cup tied, I started at right back alongside Dave King, Jon Arzumendi and Josetxo Lapoujade in front of Laurie Walker in goal.

Andriu Santiago moved into midfield alongside Darren Pond and Julien Lafuente, leaving Carlos Pifarre Forner, Marlon Jackson and Connor McDonagh to finish the line-up.

In the opening 45 minutes, we should have taken the lead.

McDonagh came close, but his powerful shot only met the side netting and soon after, captain Pond uncharacteristically missed an opportunity as the ball sailed over the bar.

The closest we came to changing the scoreline was just before the half-time whistle, but a goalmouth scramble stopped a header from Santiago crossing the line.

Therefore, at half time it was 0-0, but we were happy with the performance and confident we could go onto win the game.

We knew if we were still level in the second half we had the talent on the bench to introduce and win the game.

Early after the break, our pressure continued and the Cheltenham keeper produced the save of the match, diving to his bottom corner and producing a fingertip save to stop a vicious shot from McDonagh flying into the back of the net.

With the game hung in the balance, the gaffer introduced Bradley Bubb and Kynan Isaac and they had an immediate impact.

Isaac gambled on a long ball and his cross into the box found a lurking Bubb at the back post who confidently gave us a deserved lead. Our plan of bringing on impact players worked.

However, what happened next didn’t follow our plan as three more goals flew into the net in the last eight minutes of the match. From our stand point, we need to learn to protect a lead.

The second goal of the game was not only an equaliser for Cheltenham, but the goal of the game.

The young centre back for the away side came forward for a corner and after a rebounded shot, he volleyed the ball into the top corner.

You could say we should have dealt with the corner better and won the first header, but you cannot take anything away from the finish. He couldn’t do it again if you asked him too.

Despite the disappointment of conceding, we immediately re-took the lead.

Isaac once again did well down the left to find Bubb in the box whose rebounded shot fell to Jackson who tapped the ball home.

With three minutes to go, we should have been through to the next round.

People may say it is a good result to draw against Cheltenham, but after giving away the lead twice late on in the game, it is hard to be pleased.

The away side broke late on and a low cross from the right was unfortunately turned into our own goal by the shin of Santiago.

Despite our dominance against Cheltenham, two mistakes have cost us a big result.

The replay on Wednesday was cancelled due to a frozen pitch and we are waiting for the game to be rescheduled.

If we perform in the replay as we did in the first game and minimise the mistakes, I think we will make it through to face Woking in round three.