Highgate United 1 v 1 Bromsgrove Sporting (Highgate win 5-4 on penalties)
Highgate worked hard for this deserved win, coming out on top in the tactical battle, defending well and looking sharp on the break, Sporting enjoying the territorial advantage but wasteful in possession and failing to make the most of the opportunities which went their way. Gate too were to be thwarted both by Jonathan Brown in goal and the woodwork but overall just about edged what had been a relatively evenly fought contest which at no stage reached any great heights. Bromsgrove’s season has so far been built on success and as First Division champions elect it is likely that in many people’s eyes they came into this contest as favourites against Premier Division opposition which has suffered a disappointing league campaign so far but after this win still has two cup semi-finals to look forward to. Both sides were forced into changes from their usual line ups, Gate being without Orrin Pendley, Aaron Brown, Joe Cole and Richard Bryan, Tom Lacey and James Loney returning for starts with Romario Martin playing alongside Lei Brown and Marco Adaggio in a three pronged attack. Loney and Scott Turner formed a formidable centre back partnership which was to eventually negate the early threat shown by Sporting’s Luke Shorthouse. Sporting made the brighter start of the two and after Josh Hawker had committed an early foul keeper Brendon Bunn spilled Chris Lloyd’s free kick before recovering to save at the second attempt. Lei Brown was not far off target with a header despatched a foot too high off a Martin free kick, an even better opening then falling to Shorthouse who from a good close range position headed Lloyd’s pin point cross well wide of Bunn’s right hand post. A quick break and Trevor Edwards picked out Adaggio for a back heel played into the path of Brown for a shot deflected into his namesake’s hands. Neither side had been able to impose themselves on what had been a scrappy start, Ahmed Ali high over the bar after arriving on the end of a Sam Wills corner, Shorthouse doing slightly better when cutting into the box by forcing Bunn into a crucial save. Turner advanced forward to see a header fly over off a defender, the centre half then back on defensive duty with an important tackle to halt Tom Craine on the edge of the box. Half an hour gone and with little pattern or flow to the game chances were to prove few and far between, McCauley Manning playing a first time ball into the box fractionally too short for Martin to get a touch. At the other end Robbie Bunn and Lloyd summed up the half so far with efforts struck woefully high but just when there was an anticipation of the half finishing goalless so came an unexpected break through. Adaggio wormed a path into the box, keeper Brown got a foot in the way of the resulting shot and Lei Brown was to become a firm crowd favourite - as well as "financier" of choice of a tiny minority of "quick witted" and somewhat foul mouthed element in the "away" end - after forcing the loose ball over the line to give his side a 37th minute lead. Wills scurrying clear was near to an immediate equaliser Bunn fortunate to make a fingertip point blank save, and when at the opposite end Nathan Pulisciano’s strong run was blocked off Brown ended not the best of halves ever seen by heading Hawker’s free kick over the bar.
H-T Highgate United 1 v 0 Bromsgrove Sporting
The Rouslers made a half time change bringing on John Pykett for Craine, and whatever was said at the break almost had an immediate impact when Shorthouse turned a couple of defenders twelve yards out before slicing a golden chance well beyond Bunn’s far upright. Lacey and Bunn combined to give the custodian time to snatch a through ball off Wills’ toes, Bunn then saving miraculously to deny Shorthouse at the far post, Gate’s keeper somehow palming a goal bound effort over the bar. Sporting had clearly upped a gear during the opening period of the half, Gate continuing to defend resolutely and causing problems when venturing forward. On sixty minutes Loney blocked a Bunn volley twelve yards out, play reverting to the other end where Brown was smartly off his line to hack a long through ball away from the chasing Adaggio. Quality continued to be lacking and with the game desperately in need of a spark Martin was unlucky with a first time drive expertly tipped over by Brown, a more composed looking Gate enjoying a good spell of pressure, Adaggio’s inswinging corner headed out and a cheekily taken Martin free kick kept out by Brown at the foot of the keeper’s right hand post. Adaggio worked hard to set up Martin for a half volley hit narrowly wide, but it wasn’t all one way and Bunn did well to save low down from Pykett. Ten minutes from the end Gate were close to doubling their lead keeper Brown rooted to his line as Adaggio’s cross found Lei Brown at the far post a powerful header coming back out off the face of the woodwork. A goal at that point would no doubt have put the game to bed but it was substitute Alfie Bloomer who was to prove a thorn in Gate’s side firstly directing a header inches wide then two minutes from the end sending the game straight into penalties by making the most of a rare moment of defensive confusion, calmly and sublimely lobbing Bunn from twenty yards out to send the Sporting faithful into ecstacy. And so to penalties and the red and blue army cruelly brought down to earth when after Bunn had saved from brother Robbie and Daniel Morris, the under pressure Loney calmly smashing home the final and decisive spot kick for the silverware to be delivered into captain Hawker’s hands.
Highgate United; Bunn Lacey Pulisciano Loney Turner Edwards T Manning Hawker ( c) Adaggio Martin ( Hylton 83) Substitutes not used: Edwards D Woolley Mason Bryan
Bromsgrove Sporting: Jonathan Brown Aaron Roberts Jack Wilson Ahmed Ali Craig Jones ( c) Daniel |