Sporting Bengal United 2 West Essex 2 (West Essex won 4-3 on penalties)

Essex Senior League Errington Challenge Cup Quarter-Final, Wednesday 20th February 2019

West Essex survived a second half comeback from Sporting Bengal United to eventually win on penalties to progress through to the Semi-Finals of the Errington Challenge Cup, setting up a Last Four tie with Clapton.

The visitors started perfectly as they took a second minute lead when Michael Mignot burst through to slot beyond Richard Robins, and Mignot almost netted a second soon after but Robins managed to thwart him on this occasion.

Mignot was causing the hosts all kinds of problems and he almost netted again but saw his lobbed effort brilliantly tipped over by Robins, before another effort from the visitors saw Robins equal to it once again.

The hosts then did manage to create a chance of their own but saw Kamarl Duncan’s header just about kept out by Jack Coker before the ball was scrambled clear, and then another chance for the hosts saw Ashaan Siddik pick out Mario Embalo but the latter could only fire over the bar.

West though created more chances and saw Joe Lefley send a thumping effort at goal but see Robins keep it out, then moments later Mignot curled over, before Hakim Medfai then cut inside and fired a left-footed effort just wide of the Sporting goal.

A sloppy pass from the visitor’s defence allowed Embalo to nip in for the home side, but the striker overrun the ball and Coker came out to thwart him, whilst down the other end Robins was called to make his umpteenth save, denying Lefley again this time.

Embalo then went close for the home side again, seeing his effort blocked, before West should really have netted again as the ball fell to Mignot about ten yards or so out but could only slot wide when it looked like he was certain to score.

Steve Carvell then had a sight of goal for the hosts but saw his effort blocked, before a scramble inside the West box eventually saw Bobby Redwood slice wide, but six minutes before the break the visitors doubled their lead when that man Mignot got in down the left before firing across Robins into the far corner.

And they almost made it three when Josh French saw a header blocked before the loose ball was played back into the dangerzone to Nick Walk who could only blast over, and then Mignot, who could have had five or six goals for himself in this half, fired over late on, but his side did go into the break with a healthy two-goal cushion.

Half Time Sporting Bengal United 0 West Essex 2

The next goal in this tie was always going to be crucial and eight minutes into the second period the hosts grabbed it to get right back in this contest as after a Duncan header had been saved by Coker, the ball was fired across goal where second half substitute Reside Coxi-Sebastfao was on hand to tap home from a yard out.

Coxi-Sebastfao then got in down the right for Sporting but could only send his effort wide, and then the hosts were close to levelling again when seeing Curtley McIntosh head wide from close range, before Charles Gregory had a sight of the visitor’s goal but Coker kept out his effort too as the home side were well on top now.

Things got worse for West when they saw striker Medfai sent-off after a tackle on Duncan, and it meant the visitors would have to complete the final twenty minutes or so with ten-men, and soon after Sporting struck the bar as they continued to dominate this period.

Carvell then sent a free-kick into the visitors dangerzone, but saw Coker punch away before he raced after the ball to clear away from Gregory, but with eight minutes left Sporting found a leveller as Carvell again sent in a lovely ball to the back post where Coxi-Sebastfao was and although he poked his initial effort onto the post, the ball rebounded back off him and into the net.

And deep into added on time Sporting should have won the tie in dramatic style as another super cross from Carvell saw Embalo somehow head wide from a yard or so out, whilst the visitors fired over with the last kick of the game, and it meant the tie would go to penalties.

After two successful penalties each the hosts saw their third saved, only to see West fire over their third spot-kick.  Two more successful penalties followed before Sporting fired over, leaving the visitors to net their final kick to win through 4-3 on spot-kicks, setting up that tie at Clapton.

Full Time Sporting Bengal United 2 West Essex 2 (West Essex won 4-3 on penalties)