BRANTHAM Athletic held their nerve to beat Coggeshall Town on penalties and seal their place in the League Cup semi-finals.

The Imps won the shoot-out 3-2, after tonight’s quarter-final finished 0-0 after 90 minutes.

Goalkeeper Callum Robinson was their hero, making three great saves, while Craig Hughes, Ed Nobbs and George Clarke successfully slotted penalties past Coggeshall’s James Bransgrove.

Daniel Cunningham and Nnamdi Nwachuku both scored for the visitors but it was not enough to prevent an agonising defeat as Robinson denied Connor Hubble, Aaron Cosgrove and skipper Luke Wilson.

Michael Brothers and substitute James Gregory were the unsuccessful penalty-takers for Brantham.

The best chance of the game had come early on – ironically from the spot - after a foul in the area on Imps joint-boss Brothers.

The referee pointed to the spot but Hughes’ low, straight effort was saved by Bransgrove.

Brantham went agonisingly close again before the break when Joshua Jewson was fouled in the D.

Jack Smith sent an accurate, curling free-kick over the wall but was denied by the bar.

A tight, tense contest always looked on the cards with both sides involved in a tussle near the top of the Thurlow Nunn League table.

Coggeshall currently sit second, with 66 points from 28 games, while fourth-placed Brantham have 62 from 32 matches.

The Leisure Centre side had lost their last two premier division fixtures, though.

Having been pipped 1-0 by Long Melford, they slid to a 3-2 defeat at Haverhill Rovers on Saturday.

Brantham’s journey to the quarter-finals started with a 6-2 victory against Halstead Town.

They then held their nerve to defeat Cornard United on penalties, after a 0-0 draw, before seeing off Wivenhoe Town 3-0.

Coggeshall received a bye in the first round before routing FC Clacton 5-0 and eliminating Newmarket Town 3-1.

Elsewhere, STANWAY ROVERS were also in League Cup quarter-final action tonight, at home to Walsham-le-Willows, and won 1-0.

Jordan Palmer scored the only goal of the game, courtesy of a first-half penalty.

They also had a second-half effort disallowed for offside.

Rovers went into tonight’s tie on the back of a bye in the first round, a 4-0 victory against Little Oakley and a 1-0 success against Ipswich Wanderers.

There was another quarter-final tonight, with Thetford Town playing host to Godmanchester Rovers and romping to a 5-1 victory.

The semi-final line-up will be completed on Wednesday evening, when Wisbech St Mary entertain Wroxham.

There is also a Thurlow Nunn League premier division fixture of note on Wednesday when Wivenhoe welcome Haverhill Borough to the GMP Plant Hire Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm).