Klinton Makayago and
Mo Kargbo stared for hosts Southend Manor as they stunned Grays Athletic at
Southchurch Park by knocking them out of the BBC Essex Senior Cup on penalties
after the sides could not be separated after ninety minutes.
Manor sit third bottom in the ESL Premier after a rather difficult
season although they did almost beat Saffron Walden Town at the weekend and
although they did not get the win, they showed enough to suggest they are
starting to gel.
Grays though turned up for this one in eighth spot in the
Bostick North division, so they must have felt they could win this one, and
most people reckoned it would be a breeze for the visitors. But this is cup football so as we know
anything can happen.
The opening exchanges though certainly pointed to the form
book as Grays saw three or four openings missed, with Manor keeper Makayago
producing two pretty good stops to thwart the Bostick visitors, but Manor weren’t
without their openings too and saw one off the line when it looked easier to
score, and this was all in the first ten minutes of the contest.
Grays then went close again but saw Makayago keep them out
again, his third save inside the opening twenty minutes, and he then tipped
wide another good effort to keep Manor level in this contest.
But in the 26th minute the visitors did finally
grab the breakthrough when a good run and cross from the left saw Jack Curtis
side foot the ball home powerfully and give keeper Makayago no chance
whatsoever.
You felt if Grays went onto bag another they would probably
take control of this game, if they weren’t already, and more chances were wasted,
meaning the hosts were only one goal behind and it would only take one moment
of magic to get them level, and sure enough three minutes before the break
Kargbo drove at the Grays defence before bending a lovely finish into the
bottom corner and the hosts went into the break on level terms.
Half Time Southend
Manor 1 Grays Athletic 1
And there was a shock for Grays two minutes after the restart
when Manor went in front as that man Kargbo again drove at the defence before
smashing a brilliant effort into the bottom corner of the net, and Grays were
now chasing a game they had been in control of for the most part.
The hosts were much better in this half although they did
have to rely on keeper Makayago to keep them in front when he made another
decent save to keep the visitors out, whilst Manor themselves also had a chance
to increase their lead but saw a chance blocked, whilst the visitors then
headed wide.
But with thirteen minutes left Grays did find a leveller and
it was Curtis who netted again for the Bostick side, sweeping home a ball into
the dangerzone, and setting up a grandstand finish in this one.
Manor slashed an effort wide before Grays had two decent
openings to find a third, dragging wide of the near post before hitting an
effort wide of the far post as penalties began to loom larger by the moment.
And then both sides missed chances in stoppage time to win
the tie, firstly Manor somehow sliced over the bar from barely two yards out before
Grays then looped a header inches over the hosts bar, and soon after the final
whistle blew and it meant penalties would needed to be decided to see who would
progress into the Last 16 of the County Cup.
Both sides missed two of their first three penalties as the
keepers made decent saves, and then Grays then saw their fourth penalty saved
by a scorpion like kick by Makayago, sticking his foot up to deny a chipped
penalty down the middle. Manor then
gained the advantage by netting their fourth and with Grays netting their last,
it meant Manor could win the tie if they netted their last.
And it was left to 17-year old Dan Monk to convert the final
penalty and send his side into the next round of the competition and cause an
upset in the process.
Full Time Southend
Manor 2 Grays Athletic 2 (Southend Manor won 3-2 on penalties)
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