Disappointing Brakes were knocked out of the Birmingham County Vase as darkness enevloped the New Windmill Ground on Saturday.

West Midlands League side Ounsdale took the fourth-round place with a goal after three minutes of extra time.  Captain Brian Agar took Brakes the distance with a 90th minute equaliser but it should never really have come to that.

Co-manager Barry Proctor said "I was as disappointed as the fans, beacuse we didn't come alive until the end."

Proctor and Jason Cadden's men started brightly enough, with returning captain Agar at the centre of their endeavours.  Wide man Steve Thompson, named as November player of the month by fans at the post-christmas party, also pushed forward purposefully.

West Midlands Division One opponents Ounsdale played like a side which had only conceded four league goals all season.  They knew how to score too, taking the lead on 24 minutes when a striker collected a Richard Morris clearance.

Neale Perry missed a good chance to equalise early in the second half, firing wide after Thompson crossed from Darren Timms.  Kevin Ariss was troubling the defence from the opposite wing and there was some good midfield passing, but Brakes' cutting edge was missing.

Seven minutes into the second half they found themselves two goals adrift when the ball crept behind Morris after a melee in the box.

As darkness descended, Nick Mort added extra midfield bit in place of Perry, with the hard-working Glen Webb moving forward to partner Agar.  And with Jonny Burgess on for Ariss Brakes were finding the extra gear to get behind the Ounsdale defence.

Things clicked into gear in the last ten minutes,  when Guy Rippon replaced Baz Shearsby, who had toiled in midfield for little reward.  The breakthrough came on 84 minutes when Timms converted a penalty at the second attempt following a push on Burgess.

Constant Brakes pressure finally paid off in the dying seconds of normal time when Agar poked in a Harj Dhesi corner.  Keeper Morris, swapping boxes Schmeichel style, was also involved.

Darkening skies restricted extra time to ten minutes each way.  Ounsdale needed just four minutes to clinch the tie, firing past Morris after a break through the center.

As their team piled forward in the closing stages Brakes fans wondered if there would be enough light left for a penalty shoot-out.  Agar, Dhesi, Mort and Timms all missed chances to force the issue, but they could have no complains about losing to the better side.