Gravesend manager Andy Ford described his side's cup exit as a "sickener" after going out in the last minute at Huddersfield.

Fleet cruelly lost the game 2-1 at the McAlpine Stadium thanks to a last-gasp goal from Leon Knight.

Gravesend took a surprise lead in the second minute, only for Huddersfield to equalise in the 62nd minute. Then Knight, who is on loan from Chelsea, scored a dramatic winner for Town in the remaining few seconds.

Ford said: "We did okay, but it's a sickener to go down to a late goal. The players did us proud and we deserved a draw.

"We got an early lead and surprised them. We went back at them and had chances to score, but the ball just would not run for us."

From Gravesend's second corner of the game after 115 seconds, they scored. Huddersfield's Nathan Clarke was put under pressure by Craig Wilkins, Che Stadhart and Aaron Barnett from Elliot Martin's inswinging flag-kick and helped the ball in his own net.

Huddersfield's first real chance came in the eighth minute when Jamie Turner saved a shot from Knight.

Then with 20 minutes gone on the clock, Fleet had a goal disallowed when Francis Duku was adjudged to have "climbed" on a defender as he jumped to head the ball in.

A two-goal lead would have been difficult for Huddersfield to come back from and Ford felt it was a poor decision, saying: "I didn't see anything wrong with it. We didn't appeal because there's no point and you have to get on with it, so we did."

Huddersfield went close to an equaliser when Danny Schofield hit the Fleet crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box six minutes before the break.

Town continued to press and Knight along with Andy Booth forced Turner into action. But they eventually equalised in the 62nd minute through Ade Moses, when the defender ran at the Fleet defence before striking a 22-yard effort into the net.

Fleet looked like they were heading for a deserved replay, only for Knight to shatter their dreams by scoring in the last minute.

Gravesend can now concentrate on the Ryman League and maintain their title challenge. They are currently second in the league and three points behind Canvey Island with a game in hand.

Ford added: "We have a job on our hands competing with Canvey Island. But we'll keep plugging away and see what we can do."

November 20, 2001 11:51

Gordon Law