I was over at The Hive, technically known as The Stuart Bingham Stadium, for a Essex Senior League Challenge Cup Round Two tie between Basildon United and London Bari.
The winners would set up a home Quarter Final against either Enfield 1893 or Wadham Lodge and would move one step closer to reaching a prestigious final at the end of the season.
The Bees had had a mixed month or so with two wins and three defeats in their last six games however the visitors from Forest Gate had lost six in a row coming into this one so you fancied the hosts to win this tie. With Bari also arriving with less than half an hour to kick off it wasn’t ideal preparation for the visiting side.
And the hosts almost made it a disastrous start for the Bari boys when they created a chance within seconds of the kick off as a long range effort from Nathan Dewberry forced the keeper to palm away for a corner. Bari did respond to this early scare by having two decent efforts blocked inside the area as they looked to take a shock early lead.
The Bees then created another opening on seven minutes when Joe Skeels was laid in on goal but his effort was well saved and then three minutes later Bees forward Reece Tranter got in and finished well but was adjudged to have been offside so the goal was ruled out.
And then on twelve minutes Bari won a free kick in a decent position outside the area and saw the effort tipped onto the crossbar by Liam Pitts in what was a warning to the home side that Bari were not here just to make up the numbers.
Midway through the half Dewberry headed over a decent chance from a good position for the hosts but for the next ten or so minutes afterwards both teams struggled to keep hold of the ball as sloppy passing or poor decision making saw the game rather scrappy for a time.
With eight minutes of the half remaining a decent ball in by Tranter saw Bees forward Jack Adlington volley wide but two minutes later came the breakthrough as Basildon were awarded what looked like a rather soft penalty. Adlington got down the right and saw his cross strike a visiting defender and the referee adjudged that the ball had hit his hand and awarded a penalty, much to Bari’s dismay. Dewberry duly stepped up to slot home the penalty with ease and give the hosts a narrow advantage.
Bari looked to respond to this set back and immediately looked threatening after the goal but saw a decent opening blocked before their next attack saw a header hacked off the goal line by a Bees defender. It meant the hosts held a slender lead at the break with both sides knowing the game was still there for the taking.
Half Time Basildon United 1 London Bari 0
The Bees started the second period very well and two minutes into the half saw a Tranter lob well saved before they really should of made it two three minutes later when full back Yaw Danso burst through at pace, rounded the keeper, but took too long to send an effort at goal and eventually his cut back was cleared and the chance gone.
The Bees continued to create chances and in the 53rd minute Tranter saw a twenty yard dipping effort go just over the bar whilst up the other end the visitors forced Pitts into a smart stop down low. Churchill Chia-Titor then went close with an effort from the angle , which was stopped by the visiting keeper, before Bari then glanced a header wide in a frantic spell.
The Bees then squandered another chance in the 65th minute when Danso saw his pace get in behind the Bari back line but yet again the effort was saved before another Bees chance seven minutes later again was missed. They just could not find that second killer goal.
And with just under fifteen minutes remaining the visitors so nearly punished the Bees for their misses in front of goal when they contrived to miss an open goal after they side footed wide of a gaping goal with Pitts committed to a ball across the area. It was a huge let off for the Bees.
And moments later a long range effort from the visitors deflected inches wide of the post as the Bees were holding on somewhat, however they did manage to whether that particular storm and despite making hard work of it managed to sneak over the line and into the Last Eight of the competition.
Full Time Basildon United 1 London Bari 0
No comments:
Post a Comment