SWINDON Supermarine manager Dave Webb was left lamenting ‘a massive opportunity missed’ to reach the FA Cup fourth qualifying round after they surrendered a two-goal lead at home to go out of the competition in a 3-2 defeat to Paulton Rovers on Saturday.

Marine looked on course to move within one win of the first round proper when Josh Parsons’ first-half double put them in total control of their third qualifying round clash against their Southern League West rivals.

However, Mario Mateus gave the visitors a lifeline just before the break at the Webbswood Stadium and Marine then fell apart after the restart as a quickfire double from Joe Guest and Jack Ball turned the game on its head and saw Paulton heading through to the next round.

“It is a massive opportunity missed, but that is the competition,” said Webb.

“We didn’t do enough to win, it’s as simple as that. Paulton deserved to win and credit to them, they came and played their gameplan and it worked a treat.

“We didn’t start the game fantastically well. They came at us in the first five to 10 minutes and we weathered that and then we put ourselves in the box seat by going 2-0 up.

“We should be able to control the game from there considering we are a team that has only conceded four goals in 10 games previously but we looked very frail.

“Conceding a goal just before half-time handed the impetus to them and then we were 3-2 down within 10 minutes of the second half starting.

“After then we really didn’t show anything that gave me any real encouragement that we were going to get back into the game.

“That is disappointing as I always think there is a way to lose and we haven’t done that. We have gone out and not really looked like getting back into it.”

Marine’s defeat is their first of the season after opening up the campaign with a 10-match unbeaten run.

After bagging 17 points from their first seven league fixtures as well as winning three times in the FA Cup already, Webb was left perplexed at how his side let their usually high standards drop to such an extent.

“The form we have shown in the 10 games we have played previously has been excellent,” said Webb.

“We have defended great, we have looked a threat going forward and we have competed. All of the character we have shown, we didn’t show any of that on Saturday.

“The players have been magnificent and we have shown that we have improved but we let ourselves down on Saturday and we have gone out of a competition that meant a lot to us.

“We handed it to Paulton on a plate. Having been 2-0 up, we made it too easy.”