Sporting crashed out of their second cup competition in four days when they lost 9-8 on penalties to Phoenix United at Castle Vale Stadium in Birmingham.
Either side could have taken this entertaining tie as the game swung both ways before ending four all on 90 minutes.
Sporting opened the scoring on the 13th minute when home 'keeper Sean Burrell punched the ball into his own net, but Phoenix took advantage of poor defending and went in 2-1 at high half-time courtesy of strikes from Aldean Walters and Chris Conway.
Kevin Banner had come on as substitute just before the interval for the injured Jorma Seabourne and had an immediate impact in the second half. On 48 minutes, his free kick was headed in by Richard Griffiths, then just three minutes later Jon Rogers scored with a low header from a Banner cross to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.
Phoenix equalised on 79 minutes when Delroy Brown (the smallest guy on the pitch!) headed in from a corner and it was Brown again who thought he had scored the winner with a minute to go when his well-struck free-kick crept in between Grant Biddle and the left-hand post. However Martin Keight had the final say when he glanced in another for Sporting just after the ninety minutes were up.
Half an hour of extra time produced no more goals so penalties had to decide the outcome. Surprisingly set-piece expert Kevin Banner hit the post for the Rouslers before Grant Biddle saved from Phoenix captain Richard Henry. Neil Cooksey had his shot saved but that was followed by a miss from Robbie Desmond. The tie was then wrapped up when Grant Biddle hit his effort out of the stadium and his opposite number Sean Burrell coolly slotted home to set off justified celebrations for the home side.
For the morbidly curious, here is how the penalties went:
Phoenix - Sporting
0-1 Joe Brookes
1-1 Beniah Ebanks
1-1 Kevin Banner hit left post
2-1 Chris Conway
2-2 Nick Harris
3-2 Steffan Morrison
3-3 Mark Whitehouse
3-3 Biddle saved from Richard Henry
3-4 Jon Rogers
4-4 Darren Deeming
4-5 Odane Barnes
5-5 Anthony Barker
5-6 Chris Bright
6-6 Martin Conway
6-7 Martin Keight
7-7 Hardeep Athwall
7-7 Sean Burrell saved from Neil Cooksey
7-7 Robbie Desmond wide of right post
7-8 Richard Griffiths
8-8 Nathaniel Hare
8-8 Grant Biddle over bar
9-8 Sean Burrell
Phoenix: Sean Burrell, Hardeep Athwall, Steven Brown (Nathaniel Hare 75 mins), Robbie Desmond, Beniah Ebanks, Richard Henry (capt), Delroy Brown, Darren Deeming (Stefan Morrison 69 mins), Chris Conway, Anthony Barker, Aldean Walters (Martin Conway (75 mins).
Subs not used: James Azamgarhi, Joshua Nugent.
Sporting: Grant Biddle, Chris Bright, Nick Harris, Neil Cooksey (capt), Richard Griffiths, Martin Keight, Jon Rogers, Peter Jenvey (Mark Whitehouse 86 mins), Odane Barnes, Joe Brookes, Jorma Seabourne (Kevin Banner 39 mins).
Subs not used: Dan Wilkes, Stewart Brighton. |