Tuesday night saw me over at Southchurch Park for an ESL League Cup tie between Southend Manor and FC Romania.
The hosts came into this on the back of a couple of league wins including a 4-0 drubbing of bottom side Enfield 1893 at the weekend whilst FC Romania came into this match on the back of a convincing win at Stansted at the weekend.
The hosts created a couple of efforts in the first two minutes before moments later a good strike at goal from the visitors was well fielded by the hosts keeper. On 5 minutes good football from the visitors saw another long ranger saved and on 8 minutes FCR created a great chance as they got in on goal but as they tried to round the keeper he grabbed the ball off the striker’s toes and thwarted the visitors.
On 18 minutes the visitors attacked down the left and saw a dangerous cross into the box hit one of their forwards and saw the loose ball cleared but a minute later the Romanian’s took the lead with a great long range effort from Hungarian Lazar Kumenov, hitting into the top corner giving the hosts keeper no chance at all. Manor 0 FCR 1.
The visitors were well on top and midway through the half another visitors attack saw them burst into the box but saw the defence scramble clear. A minute later came a chance for the hosts though as a free kicked whipped into the FCR box found a Manor player unmarked but he could only head straight at the keeper.
Suddenly Manor had got onto the front foot and moments later Rhys Fatt struck an effort from distance which was heading for the top corner until it was brilliantly tipped over by the keeper and just before the half hour Fatt ran onto the ball for the hosts but could only scuff his effort wide from distance.
Just past the half hour mark the hosts almost gifted FCR a second goal when a poor kick out by their keeper went straight to goalscorer Kumenov but the Hungarians first time effort sailed over the bar. Manor should of levelled ten minutes before half time when Fatt again caused the visiting defence problems, bursting down the left before crossing for a teammate at the back post who fired against the crossbar from barely a yard out.
A couple of minutes later and Manor went close again as they were now the side doing all the pressing and from the resulting corner Warner saw his header cleared off line. Six minutes before the break FCR almost made it two when good football saw a shot from close range well saved and then down the other end saw a Manor player booked for diving inside the box. However three minutes before the break Manor grabbed a deserved leveller when the ball fell to Rhys Fatt inside the box and he smashed home into the top corner giving the visiting keeper no chance whatsoever. Manor 1 FCR 1.
Soon after came the half time whistle after Manor had struck another effort wide as they finished the half much the better side.
Half Time Southend Manor 1 FC Romania 1
However it was the visitors who came out on the front foot in the second half and on 53 minutes sleepy defending allowed FCR in again but they could only screw the effort wide. A minute later however Fatt suddenly had a sight of the visitors goal but could only hit straight at the keeper and then just before the hour mark Fatt got the ball after a poor clearence from the visiting keeper but saw his effort scrambled away by the keeper with his legs.
Just past the hour mark FCR attacked down the left and the eventual ball in fell for Kumenov who shot miles over the bar but as the game approached the last twenty minutes you felt either side could win this tie. On 72 minutes a great cross to the back post saw Fatt’s header saved at the near post by visiting keeper but a minute later the visitors were celebrating re taking the lead as a long range effort was parried out into the path of substitute Cosmin who slid the rebound under the keeper and into the net. Manor 1 FCR 2.
With five minutes to go FCR nearly wrapped it up but saw a left footed effort from close range go just wide but as the game entered its final stages the hosts really began to crank up the pressure and on 90 minutes they went close as Fatt headed over from close range after good work from Reynolds and during stoppage time Manor piled on the pressure in search of that equaliser which would take the tie to penalties but the visitors managed to cling on and progress through to the next round. Harsh on Manor but you cant win them all, fair play to FC Romania who played some decent football at times too.
Full Time Southend Manor 1 FC Romania 2
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