Despite twice knocking out UCL opposition in the previous rounds, Weldon found Peterborough Northern Star just a little too strong to overcome. For their part, Northern Star had twice struggled against lower-grade opposition in the shape of Pegasus and Town League side Harlequins, and were far from convincing on the night. However, equal parts guile and luck are necessary for any cup success and they were plentiful supply for the UCL side.

Weldon started the brighter of the two sides, taking the game to their opponents, but lacked an end product, something that was to become a feature of the first half. Matthew O’Neill worked tirelessly up front but his frustrations became more and more evident as he chased ball after ball with little support form teammates.

Northern Star for their part burst into life on 20 minutes, having seemingly been prepared to let the Weldon assault on their defence become spent, before making a counter attack as their opponents regrouped. Ciaran Turner was tripped on the left wing as he sought to break through. Darren Paling took the resulting free-kick and picked out  Sam Phillips who headed back across the face of goal and into the path of Turner who headed the ball home.

Within a minute however Weldon had the chance to get back on level terms when the ever-lively O’Neill beat his marker but with no support, opted to go alone and blazed over the bar. Shortly after more hard work from O’Neill forced a corner, which asked questions of the Star keeper who flapped at the ball and then spilled it. Again the lack of a follow up denied Weldon an equaliser. O’Neill had his third chance in five minutes on the half-hour twist and turning and jinking through the defence, but he could only steer the ball wide.

Shortly before half time, a well-worked free kick routine had Weldon thinking that they had equalised, only for the ball to drift wide of the post with Star stopper Lewis Moat beaten. A minute before half-time however, O’Neill finally got the goal that his early efforts deserved. Collecting the ball in the middle of the half, O’Neill ran at and beat three Star defenders before curling home a low drive from the edge of the area. The half time team talk was looking different at this point, but it was to prove the moment where the UCL side’s experience came to the fore. With spirits buoyed by the equaliser, Weldon were caught cold as Star attacked straight from the kick off, and took the lead again through Ciaran Turner who prodded home after a scramble.

Star started the second half very much as they had the first, keeping men behind the ball and inviting Weldon to attack. Weldon however had smartened up this time around and rather than futilely throwing themselves at the defence in the hope of a breach, retained possession and probed the defence looking for a weak point. The patient play nearly paid dividends when Aarron MacAlindon wriggled free, but saw his effort saved.

Star wasted the opportunity to go further clear just after the hour mark, when a poor finish from James Curran went well wide. Ten minutes later, Weldon punished their opponent’s wastefulness when Sean Brennan was tripped. Paul Djeneralovic whipped over the free kick and MacAlindon rose highest to restore parity.

Sadly for Weldon, lessons had not been learned from the first half as Star again used their experience and nous and struck back immediately with a second sucker-punch counter of the game. A 3-on-3 breakaway saw Weldon keeper Leech do well to push away a stinging drive from Paling, but it fell into the path of Curran at the far post. To his credit Leech was back on his feet and pulled off a save he realistically had no right to make to block Curran’s drive. Having done so well to recover, it was unfortunate for Leech that the ball ricocheted back into the six yard area and sat up on the turf for James Curran to tap home.

If the Star goals owed much to their experience, then the integrity of their lead in the last fifteen minutes was hugely indebted to the vagaries of luck. Moat was guilty of some kamikaze keeping, a rush of blood leading him to charge out as MacAlindon collected the ball on the left hand side of the area. With the keeper realising he was out of position in no-mans land and could only watch as MacAlindon lifted the ball over the top of him, before breathing a huge sigh of relief as the ball missed the far post. 

Star found themselves under the cosh and unable to escape their own half for the closing stages as O’Neill first sent the ball skidding across the face of the goal with Moat helpless once again, before Djeneralovic spotted him off his line, and struck a dipping half-volley that had him backpedalling and beaten. The grandstand finish was denied however as the ball banged off the bar and out to safety.