Tuesday evening saw me over on the outskirts of Colchester as I visited The Hawthorns,Stanway Rovers FC for their FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay tie against Barking.
It had been around twenty years since I last visited the ground and much had changed of course although the pitch and surrounding areas seemed similar to what I remember from before. Anyway it was a perfect sunny evening for football so it certainly helped the excitement build before kick off.
The sides had played out a pretty poor 0-0 draw at the weekend in East London so it was hoped that this replay would at least be a better spectacle. However for the first half hour or so the game was fairly quiet with only a couple of openings for the hosts comfortably dealt with by Jason Willis and the visitors heading a chance well wide of the target the only notable goal mouth action.
But then from nowhere came a lead for the Blues when a ball pumped into the box saw Paul Oshinsend a looping header over hosts keeper Rhys Hughes and into the net to see the visitors go in front. It was probably the only real moment of quality in the whole half if truth be told.
Just before half time both sides had openings, firstly when the hosts almost scored a comical own goal but managed to get back to clear, and then secondly Willis managed to save from point blank range after the hosts had miscued an effort when full contact may have resulted in a leveller, however it was the visiting ESL side who went into the half with a slender lead.
Half Time Stanway Rovers 0 Barking 1
The early exchanges in the second half saw the hosts apply much greater pressure on the Barking back line and saw an early chance go begging when a free kick was headed back across the face of goal and wide. The Blues spent much of the first ten to fifteen minutes of the second half pegged back as the hosts tried to find a leveller but on the hour mark Barking really should of made it two when Ricky Tarrard found himself in on goal but he lifted his effort over the bar.
And moments later the Blues should of netted again when a loose ball across the area found John Bricknell who looked certain to score but for a block on the line by a recovering defender. It was another golden chance for the visitors to double their advantage in the tie.
The hosts though were still doing a lot of pressing and with ten minutes left Jamie Shaw forced Willis into a decent stop at his near post as the Blues were being pushed back again. And then with four minutes to go the hosts were awarded a penalty for an apparent hold, although it looked slightly soft to me, and Shaw stepped up to send the spot kick in via Willis’s hand and the hosts had found the leveller.
The Blues were furious and went in search of a winner in normal time and low and behold they then won themselves a spot kick three minutes later for what I think was a push inside the box and James Peagram had the chance to win it for the visitors but his penalty was poor and straight at Hughes who saved the effort meaning the tie would go into extra time.
Full Time Stanway Rovers 1 Barking 1
So after that dramatic end to the game would extra time provide any more twists and turns? Well less than a minute into the extra half hour Stanway went in front when Shaw sent a looping header over a stranded Willis and it was the hosts who looked likely to add to their tally as they saw William Hunt’s effort well tipped over by Willis soon after.
And then two minutes before the end of the first period Stanway did increase their lead when Daniel Thrower drove into the box and rammed a left footed effort past Willis from inside the box and gave the hosts a two goal cushion heading into the half time break in extra time.
Half Time in ET Stanway Rovers 3 Barking 1
If you thought that was the end of the drama then think again. Barking knew they had to pull something out of the hat to get back into this tie and a minute into the second period they sawPeagram smash home a wonderful free kick to bring the scoreline to 3-2 and it was game on again.
Thereafter the Blues swarmed all over the hosts defence as they searched for the equaliser but although they continued to knock on the door Rovers continued to cling on to their lead. And with only a few minutes to go Barking’s joint manager and substitute Glen Golby struck a magnificent effort from range which struck the inside of the post and rolled across the goal and away.
Barking continued to press and the hosts then saw substitute Tyler Kemp sent off for a secondbooking for handball which led to another Barking set piece in a dangerous area. However the free kick was over hit and drifted out and Stanway had survived the barrage of attacks to take their place in the First Qualifying Round and a match with Barton Rovers.
This game may have began slowly but boy did it turn into a classic cup tie or what. Fabulous entertainment.
Full Time after ET Stanway Rovers 3 Barking 2
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