So Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round day, a big day for non league sides, as 64 of them battle to reach the First Round Proper and get into the pot with the SkyBet League One and Two sides.
I was at the tie taking place at The EBB Stadium, Aldershot, Hampshire, for Aldershot Town VsEastbourne Borough. The hosts were taking part in their first FA Cup contest of the season having entered at this stage of the competition due to their National League status whilst for Borough this was their third stage after squeezing past Metropolitan Police and Hadley in the previous two rounds.
Eastbourne hadn’t exactly enjoyed the favourites tag in the previous two rounds so maybe now the boot was on the other foot they might enjoy this one a bit more. The South Coast side haven’t exactly been setting the world alight in the National League South, sitting down in 13th, whilst hosts Aldershot were having a decent season, sitting just outside the play-offs in the National League in sixth only on goal difference, so the hosts definitely started as favourites in this tie.
The Shots had the first effort on goal after four minutes, firing one just over from twenty yards as they had started on the front foot although a minute afterwards Borough’s Gavin McCallumforced home keeper Mark Smith into a decent stop. But despite the hosts putting the visiting defence under pressure and dominating possession they were unable to find that opening goal.
However just past the midway point came a huge moment of controversy as after Borough saw a McCallum effort go close a loose ball outside the box saw Shots player Jim Kellermann go into a challenge and seemingly win the ball and also catch the player too. The referee duly showed a straight red to Kellermann for a studs up challenge. It looked very harsh to say the least but left the hosts to play the remaining 65 or so minutes a player short.
For a few moments afterwards it left the hosts rather shell-shocked and from the resultant free kick confusion in the Shots defence almost saw the visitors score but the hosts scrambled the ball away. Shots has totally dominated the possession stakes up till this point but it would now be interesting to see how this moment would change things perhaps.
For the remainder of the first half though things continued as they were, with the hosts dominating possession, and eight minutes before half time went very close to breaking the deadlock when Bernard Mensah struck the post from an opportunist free kick which caught out keeper Lewis Carey.
Minutes later the Shots saw another good move end with a deflected effort going just over the bar and they remained on the front foot into the break. However you felt that the man advantage may tell in the second period but could the visitors take advantage. They were certainly fortunate to reach the break goal less.
Half Time Aldershot Town 0 Eastbourne Borough 0
The first five minutes of the second half certainly suggested that Borough boss Tommy Widderington had asked his side to get more of the ball as they certainly had more possession than was had in the first period, although it was the hosts who had the first opening of the half when Matt Mcclure got in behind the visitors defence but hit his effort straight at keeper Carey.
But moments later came the opening goal, and it went to the National League South visitors, and what a goal it was as after McCallum had played the ball over to Jamie Taylor, the striker duly took a touch before cracking one in off the bar from outside the box, giving hosts keeper Smith no chance whatsoever.
The hosts now were suddenly a man down and now a goal down and chasing this cup tie at home in front of what had been an expectant crowd now becoming more and more of an anxious one. And on 57 minutes the visitors should of made it a mountain to climb for the hosts when they missed a great chance to make it two, as Taylor broke down the right and played a great ball to the back post where substitute Nathanial Pinney was lurking, but he somehow hit his effort wide of the far post and the Shots had a huge let off.
This moment seemed to galvanise the home side and just before the hour mark full backAnthony Straker played a ball to the visitors back post but saw the hosts mess it up and then two minutes later came oh so close to levelling the tie when Charlie Walker thumped a superb effort against the post from distance, the second time the Shots had hit the woodwork in the contest.
They must have been wondering whether it was going to be one of those days, that was until the 68th minute when the hosts managed to finally breach the visitors defence, as Mensah put in a marvellous cross into the six yard box and saw substitute Idris Kanu finish from a yard out and send the hosts fans wild with delight and also gave the ten men real hope of pulling off a comeback win.
However the visitors were certainly not about to waste all their hard work and with fifteen minutes remaining saw a great ball in behind the hosts defence find the dangerous Taylor run onto it and his effort was brilliantly saved by Smith and then a couple of minutes later Taylor got free down the right but saw his square ball brilliantly cut out by a defender.
The game was certainly in the balance as we entered the final ten minutes as both sides were going for a winner. The hosts saw Mensah cut inside and produce an effort which tested visitors keeper Carey before Kanu broke down the left but saw his cut back cleared by the Borough defence.
McCallum then saw an effort swerve in mid air and made Smith’s save slightly more difficult but he managed to beat away the effort as time ticked down towards the 90 minute mark. And then came the moment that sealed this tie, as with around twenty or so seconds of the ninety to go, the visitors saw Pinney in behind and the striker finished brilliantly past keeper Smith with the outside of his foot and left Aldershot needing to find a goal in the remaining three minutes of stoppage time to come to stay in the Cup.
And deep into stoppage time they almost found that goal as a free kick saw everyone come up for it, including keeper Smith, but Jack Saville could only head the set play inches over onto the roof of the net, and with that went the Shots last chance to salvage a replay. The final whistle cued celebrations from the visitors who had pulled off a cup shock here and took their place in the pot for Monday Evening’s First Round Proper draw.
Full Time Aldershot Town 1 Eastbourne Borough 2
No comments:
Post a Comment