Goals from Jorge Djassi-Sambu and Joel Nouble helped
Haringey Borough create history after they turned a half-time deficit into victory
against Poole Town at Coles Park and make the First Round Proper of the
Emirates FA Cup for the very first time.
The hosts were the only side still in the competition that
had started in the Preliminary Round stage and after wins against Stanway Rovers,
Brentwood Town, Erith Town and AFC Sudbury to reach this stage, whilst the
visitors, who started their run in the 1st Qualifying Round, had
dispatched Shaftesbury, Cinderford Town and Horsham (after a replay) to set up
this contest here.
The hosts were also appearing at this stage for the second
season in a row but had never gone beyond this stage after they lost to
Heybridge Swifts last season, whilst Poole hadn’t gone beyond this stage for 35
years, so this was a huge day for both clubs, and the atmosphere prior to the
kick off between the 402 spectators inside the ground was superb.
Whether the occasion got to both sides remains to be seen,
but the first period was fairly flat, despite both sets of supporters trying to
will their teams on. The opening fifteen
minutes did see the hosts thwarted by a couple of defensive blocks whilst the
visitors also saw an effort of their own blocked too.
Boro then looped a header over the Poole crossbar before
just beyond the half hour mark the Dorset side won a penalty after a high boot
inside the box, and Steve Devlin stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way
and Poole had the lead.
The hosts then saw a scramble inside the Poole box
eventually cleared before a side footed effort after a cutback was sliced well
wide of the target, and it meant the visitors had a slender lead at the break,
and you felt there was much more to come from both sides.
Half Time Haringey Borough
0 Poole Town 1
Whatever was said to the hosts at half-time certainly worked
as they came out much more positively in the second half, and saw Nouble send
an effort off target from a decent position, before another hosts effort was
brilliantly tipped over by the visiting keeper.
The resulting corner was then headed off target by the
hosts, before more Boro chances saw a couple of goalbound efforts blocked near
to the goalline, as Poole were having to dig very deep to preserve their
lead. The only effort Poole had on goal
in the opening exchanges of the half saw a curling effort go way way off
target.
The next period of play saw Poole get into a very decent position
but a wayward ball across the box ended that attack, whilst down the other end Boro
saw another good opening brilliantly thwarted by a superb sliding block by a
defender, but then with just over fifteen minutes remaining came a pivotal moment
in the tie.
With Boro pushing forward they lost the ball and saw a long ball
release Richard Gillespie who was clean through on goal, but his slotted effort
came back off the post and into the grateful arms of the keeper, had that gone
in you would of thought that the visitors may well have sealed the deal.
And just minutes later Boro found a leveller, and a deserved
one too if truth be told based on their second half showing, when Nouble got to
the byline and squared across to Djassi-Sambu who converted from close range,
setting up a grandstand last ten minutes.
Boro then sent a free header straight at the keeper, but
with seven minutes remaining they turned this one around by netting again to go
in front as a misplaced header towards goal looped up perfectly to the back
post where Nouble managed to bundle the ball over the line from a yard out and
send the hosts wild, they were roughly ten minutes or so away from the next
round.
The closest Poole came to finding an equaliser was a lobbed
effort which the keeper had to tip away, but Boro saw out the final few nerve-jangling
moments to take their place in the First Round Proper for the very first time
in their history.
Full Time Haringey
Borough 2 Poole Town 1
No comments:
Post a Comment