A Tage Kennedy brace helped Enfield Borough see off
Sporting Bengal United at Summers Lane and progress into the First-Round Proper
stage of the Buildbase FA Vase Competition.
The hosts had won five and drawn two of their seven league
games in the Spartan South Midlands One whilst the visitors were unbeaten in
their first three league games in the Essex Senior League Premier, one step
above their opponents.
Both had also recorded 6-0 home wins recently too and had
also lost last time out, and with two pacey attacking sides on show here a
decent game was expected.
Well the hosts settled quicker and lead after just four
minutes when Kennedy managed to get in behind the defence to slot home emphatically
and give the North London side the perfect start to this cup tie.
Bengal almost hit back immediately but saw a free-kick flick
off the bar, and then the visitors then fired an effort wide of the near post
as they looked to find a leveller. The
hosts though were still very dangerous too and flashed one across the box as
they themselves looked to quickly double their advantage.
The hosts then went close a couple of times more before
forcing Sporting keeper Cem Temur into a smart save to his right, whilst down
the other end David Vaughan went down inside the hosts area but no penalty was
forthcoming.
The dangerous Kennedy thought he had got in behind and put
his side two goals ahead with another crisp finish, however the offside flag
had gone up and chalked that effort off, but nine minutes before the break the
hosts did double their lead when skipper Dervon Hurde let fly from long range
and saw the ball end up in the bottom corner for only his second goal for the
club.
Soon after this Sporting saw a free-kick well palmed away by
hosts keeper Jonti Purdom, whilst down the other end Kennedy forced Temur into
another save down to his right. Sporting
then saw a huge penalty shout turned down, much to the visitor’s disgust, and
it meant a two-goal cushion for the hosts as the teams reached the half time
break.
Half Time Enfield
Borough 2 Sporting Bengal United 0
Sporting knew they had to score the next goal if they were
to get anything out of this tie, and they began the half well and five minutes
into it found that goal back when a free-kick floated into the box saw centre
half Kamarl Duncan loop a header into the far corner of the net and it was game
on as they say.
The visitors continued to be the better side in the opening
exchanges of the half but despite this found themselves two goals behind once
again in the 56th minute when Kennedy found space inside the box to
slot past Temur from close range and the hosts once again had some breathing space
in this one.
Sporting continued to create openings but weak finishing let
them down on more than one occasion, whilst the hosts were looking to put the
tie to bed and saw one effort blocked whilst another close-range effort was
somehow deflected wide, but it remained 3-1 to the home side.
Sporting then dragged a free-kick wide whilst the hosts sent
a ball across the goal-line but with no one able to get to it saw the ball roll
away from danger, and the home side still held that two goal lead going into
the latter stages of the contest.
Then came a crazy ending to the game which saw Codey Cameron
get in for the visitors down the right and his deft lob saw keeper Purdom tip
the effort onto the post, and then see one of his defenders play the ball back
to him and the keeper claimed the ball ahead of the striker and a back pass was
awarded three yards from goal.
In the aftermath Borough’s Brian Tshibangu was shown a second
yellow so was dismissed, and then the visitors totally messed up the indirect free-kick
and the chance was gone. Sporting though
did then win a spot kick moments later, which Yasir Rashid converted, but it
was too little to late for the visitors and it meant Borough held on to
progress into the next round and see Step Six defeat Step Five once again.
Full Time Enfield
Borough 3 Sporting Bengal United 2
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