So another Tuesday evening match at Southchurch Park and another cup tie, this time a Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy fixture between Southend Manor and Sporting Bengal United.
The winners would go through to the last eight and face Stansted away and after a twenty minute delay for kick off due to the away side arriving late due to traffic problems they were caught cold as the hosts led inside the first minute when Manor top scorer Rhys Fatt was sent in on goal and he slotted home for the hosts and the boys in yellow had an ideal start. Manor 1 Sporting 0.
On 6 minutes Manor almost scored again in fortuitous circumstances after a charge down from a defensive clearance rolled towards the goal but a defender managed to get back to strike a clearance of the hosts for a goal kick. Sporting were certainly taking there time in getting into the tie and just past the quarter hour mark Manor threatened again when they curled an effort over the bar, this after Sporting had a couple of efforts at other end although they failed to test the keeper on either occasion.
On 18 minutes the visitors had their best chance of the game up to that point when goal machine Tunde Adewunmi struck an effort at goal but this was saved by the hosts keeper but five minutes later they came even closer to levelling the tie when Tunde Adewunmi again found himself in space and he chipped the keeper but saw his effort come back off the bar.
The visitors were now putting the hosts under some pressure as they had finally come into this tie after a slow start although just before the half hour good play from the hosts saw the final effort ballooned over before a bit of a mad scramble inside Manor’s box on the half hour following a visiting corner eventually saw an over head kick go well wide. Fatt then whipped one over the bar for Manor with ten minutes till half time before moments later a Sporting corner saw a header wide from a decent position.
The visitors finished the half strongly though and four minutes before half time felt they should of had a penalty after a foul inside the box and then they stuck the loose ball home but were given offside which upset the visitors somewhat. However two minutes later they did level when a cross foundTunde Adewunmi who headed home although it was the hosts turn to be unhappy with the officials as they wanted a foul in build up. Manor 1 Sporting 1.
And then just as the teams lined up for the restart Manors Jason Warner shouted something rude which he claimed was aimed at a teammate but the referee obviously thought it was aimed at him and sent off the Manor centre half to his utter disbelief. To say he was unhappy as he trudged off was an understatement but it left the hosts down to ten men for the entire second half to come. It nearly got worse for the hosts in first half stoppage time when the visitors got in behind but a good save kept them out although Manor’s keeper suffered concussion and had to be replaced at half time by sub keeper Hawkins. So a mad end to the half which saw the sides go in level in the scoreline at least.
Half Time Southend Manor 1 Sporting Bengal United 1
So you would have been forgiven for thinking that Sporting would now go on and control the tie with the numerical advantage for the second half but erm no, as Manor came out all guns blazing and re took the lead six minutes into the half when a deep free kick found Brennan Nolan who headedhome from close range and saw the ten men in front. Manor 2 Sporting 1.
And then incredibly a minute or so later the Manor boys had a third as they ripped the visiting defence apart again and saw Rhys Fatt burst into the box, beat a defender, and slo t the ball across the keeper and into the far corner for a wonderful goal and a two goal lead for the ten man hosts. Manor 3 Sporting 1.
However the visitors were gifted a route back into the tie on 56 minutes when a cross towards the back post saw keeper Hawkins totally miss the cross while trying to come and claim it and saw the ball knocked towards the empty goal before it was eventually tapped home by Tunde Adewunmi for his and Sporting’s second of the evening. Manor 3 Sporting 2.
A few minutes later Manor struck a free kick miles over from a good position but they were doing very well with ten men and were the better side for sure in this half. On 68 minutes good football from the hosts almost saw them add another goal but the offside flag went up just as the ball trickled wide. Two minutes later it should of been four for the hosts as Rhys Fatt burst through down the right for manor but dragged his shot wide.
Sporting had barely threatened the hosts goal in the second half apart from the goal but on 76 minutes they went close as after good work down the right the ball almost rolled across the goal linebut was just about cleared by the defence although the clearance back to keeper Hawkins, who picked up the ball, had the visitors screaming for a back pass which fell on deaf ears.
Manor though continued to be resolute in defence and often tried to attack but as the minutes ticked by you felt maybe they could hold out for the win and a quarter final berth but with two minutes of the ninety to go Sporting levelled the tie when after the ball was laid across the edge of the box toJavier Riviera his deflected shot beat Hawkins and nestled into the corner of the net and give the visitors there leveller. Manor 3 Sporting 3.
It was tough on the hosts who had probably should of killed the tie off earlier in the half but they couldn’t and the visitors made them pay for that. Anyway the six minutes of stoppage time couldn’t produce a winner so the tie went straight to penalties.
Full Time Southend Manor 3 Sporting Bengal United 3
So to penalties, a lottery some say, and they would be right. Who would be able to hold their nerve. Well it seemed like the hosts were as they gained an early advantage in the shootout when Sporting missed their first spot kick. Manor missed one too but then saw Hawkins produce another save to leave the hosts needing to score their fifth penalty to progress to the Quarter Finals. However they missed and allowed the visitors to level the shootout up at 3-3 after five penalties each meaning sudden death. Sadly for Manor they missed again and Sporting took advantage to win the shootout 4-3.
It was harsh on Manor who had showed admirable desire and togetherness with a man short in the second half. They must take great heart from this performance as they outplayed a very decent Sporting side in the second half with players out of position and a man down obviously so can hold their heads up high for sure. As for Sporting their season continues to be a successful one under the guidance of boss Anwar Uddin who seems to have molded a decent squad together for the Mile Endoutfit. So it is the visitors who therefore progress into the Quarter Finals of the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and a clash with Stansted at Hargrave Park.
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