Lawrie Marsh netted the winning spot-kick in the shoot-out
as Biggleswade FC finally saw off Tring Athletic on penalties after the sides
could not be separated after 120 minutes for the second successive week, meaning
the hosts now host Stowmarket Town in the Last 32 of the Buildbase FA Vase.
These two currently occupy first and second respectively in
the Spartan South Midlands Premier so when the draw was originally made it was
immediately thought it would be a tight and tense affair, and last weekend’s
1-1 draw certainly lived up to that.
Biggleswade also had to play most of the second half and all
of extra time with ten men last week after a sending off, so they were
certainly the happier to have another chance of progressing in this one, and
the same type of game was again expected at Langford Road in this one.
The game started in a rather subdued manor if truth be told and
neither keeper were tested in the opening exchanges, and the first real opening
didn’t arrive until midway through the half and it fell to the hosts when Pat
McCafferty got in down the right but his cutback saw an effort blocked twice
before the Tring backline managed to clear their lines.
Athletic then thumped one over at the other end before Biggleswade
skipper Alex Marsh got in behind the Tring backline but visiting keeper Pat
Sinfield came to thwart the striker, and it ended with them both needing
treatment after they came crashing together. Both were ok to continue though.
McCafferty then headed a free-kick wide of the visitor’s
goal, which would have been controversial as it was hard to see why the hosts
had been awarded the free-kick after it appeared the foul had been committed by
the hosts, however it mattered not in the end and this game remained tight and
goalless.
In the latter stages of the first half George Ironton went
on a run and after cutting inside sent an effort inches wide of the hosts net,
it looked like it was going to nestle in the bottom corner but it just went the
wrong side of the post, and then down the other end Alex Marsh saw a free-kick
saved, and this tie remained level going into the break.
Half Time Biggleswade
FC 0 Tring Athletic 0
The opening exchanges of the second period saw Biggleswade’s
Ryan Inskip fire an effort straight at Sinfield in the Tring goal, but it took
a while for both sides to really find their feet again after the restart.
Both sides then had chances, Tring’s skipper Kieran Turner
fired a decent effort just off target before the hosts saw a header from Nick
Henebery plucked out of the air by Sinfield.
McCafferty then saw another header well saved by Sinfield before up the
other end Tring fired a loose ball just wide after Biggleswade had failed to clear
their lines.
It remained goalless though and the hosts passed up two more
opportunities to take the lead, firstly when Henebery saw an effort blocked,
and from the resulting corner the hosts fired wide. Down the other end Tring forward Ashton
Campbell stretched to direct a header at goal but hosts keeper Dan Child
plucked that effort out of the air.
Biggleswade then saw an effort glance of the top of the bar,
and with no further chances to speak of the tie went into an extra half hour
for the second week running, and with all of us no nearer to who would be
progressing into the Fourth Round.
Full Time Biggleswade
FC 0 Tring Athletic 0
The only real chance of note in the opening fifteen minutes
saw visitor’s midfielder Mark Rodick head over from six yards out, and Tring
created the second noteworthy chance in extra time early in the second period
when Campbell saw an effort deflected over the bar.
Tring then thought they had taken the lead when Campbell
raced clear and with hosts keeper Child having raced out of goal to try and
thwart the forward, Campbell got to the ball first and knocked it past him and
into the net it seemed, until a terrific clearance from a recovering defender
saw the ball off the line and away.
And minutes later it was Biggleswade who were holding their
heads in their hands as they saw a close-range effort blocked on the line
before the rebound was somehow hooked over the bar, and still neither side
could find that winner.
It meant penalties would be needed to decide this tie, and
after five successful penalties had been taken, Tring’s Campbell missed his by
blazing over the bar, handing the advantage to the hosts. With two more successful penalties it meant
Lawrie Marsh had the chance to net the winning spot kick, and he sent it high into
the top corner and cued celebrations amongst the home side.
Sadly their had to be a loser in this tie and hard luck on
Tring who were the ones who had to go out, but both teams should be proud how
well they battled in this tie over the 240 minutes they played against each
other. Good proper cup football. It does mean it Biggleswade FC vs Stowmarket
Town in the Last 32, should be a good un.
Full Time Biggleswade
FC 0 Tring Athletic 0 (aet; Biggleswade
FC won 5-3 on penalties)
No comments:
Post a Comment