TAWNY Owl manager Anthony Pascarella hopes his team use the agony of Saturday’s 3-2 Wiltshire Junior Cup final defeat as inspiration to make sure they do finish with silverware before the season is out.

After triumphing in each of their previous 19 matches in all competitions this term, game 20 was a step too far for the Swindon & District League side as they went down 3-2 to Luxol St Andrews, of the Trowbridge & District League.

Goals from Kenny Hawkins and Dave Slattery had put Tawny in charge at the break at Westbury United’s Meadow Lane, however, a debatable penalty early in the second half gave Luxol a lifeline, while Owl’s plight was compounded when Lewis Page was sent off for dissent.

Luxol made the most of their chance to get back into the game by converting from 12 yards and that kicked off a spectacular comeback as they got their noses in front by the time the final whistle sounded.

Tawny are also fighting for the Premier Division title and have qualified for the Swindon Advertiser Cup final, so Pascarella hopes the pain of the loss to Luxol will only serve to galvanise his side in their quest for glory elsewhere.

“We are all pretty gutted. At half-time we were in total cruise control, I couldn’t see anything else other than us going on to win it,” said Pascarella.

“At the start of the second half, the referee gave a very dodgy penalty and sent a man off as well. From that moment, it was really tough because it was a big pitch as well.

“It killed us, it’s as simple as that.

“We have got a lot of games coming up now. I think we are playing Tuesday and Saturday every week until the end of the season. Hopefully we can pick ourselves up and put it right in the other competitions.

“I don’t want to say too much or big it up because I thought we would win that cup at the weekend. We will use it as motivation for the rest of the season.”

There were just two Premier Division fixtures over the weekend, with Ricky Hewitson’s hat-trick inspiring Swindon Centurians to a narrow 4-3 success at home to Swindon Spitfires. Sportz Central saw off Spectrum 7-2 in the only other game.

Sport 4 Pinehurst missed the chance to climb to the top of the Division One table after going down 2-1 at home to Lower Stratton.

Tom Wilde netted a hat-trick as New Town All Stars thrashed Haydon Wick 5-1, while Stratton Juniors beat Moredon 4-0. Core Construction romped to a 4-1 success at Chiseldon and Old Town United were 3-1 winners over Wroughton Reserves.