Report: Bromley 1-0 Worcester City - FA Cup 4th Qual Rd

CUP KING: Richard Pacquette
fires the winner for Bromley

IF anyone needed evidence that playing the beautiful game beautifully does not always win football matches, ten man Bromley’s FA Cup victory over Worcester City provided it.

Mark Goldberg’s team may not have passed the ball around with the finesse of their visitors, but essentially, there was purpose about their play in the final third. In the end, Bromley created much the better openings and deserved their place in the First Round for the fourth time in seven years.

Despite playing the last 15 minutes a man down following Moses Swaibu’s second yellow card, the hosts were still dangerous on the break and it came as no surprise when Richard Pacquette bundled home the last ditch winner.

Crestfallen Worcester players dropped to their knees as Bromley celebrated the winner. There was as much a sense of disbelief as gut wrenching disappointment.

But for all of the crisp passing and good possession, everything City did was in front of a stoic Bromley rearguard. Their performance lacked a dynamic edge where it mattered with key players Greg Mills and Danny Glover not involving themselves enough.

Worcester had more than enough about them to win this game, yet it had slipped from their grasp, and as frustrated City boss Carl Heeley booted a ball of the ground at full time it was clear he knew it.

It had started so well for the visitors with Tom Thorley going close with a free kick and Mills driving a fierce shot at home ‘keeper Joe Welch in the opening ten minutes.

Worcester were generally dominating, but Bromley soaked up the pressure and hit the channels early with the pace of Pierre Joseph-Dubios and Elliott Buchanan complimenting Pacquette’s physical presence up front.

Mike Jones’ jinking run set Pacquette away to drill a shot at Glyn Thompson’s legs before Buchanan missed the chance of the first half, scuffing well wide on the half volley from Sanchez Ming’s low centre.

Ming time and again exploited a weakness in City’s system, finding space down the right as Mills switched flanks leaving left back Ellis Deeney hopelessly exposed.

At the start of the second half, captain Ali Fuseini drove narrowly over from 25 yards after good work down the right by Buchanan, who headed Ming’s cross wide when well placed two minutes later.

Bromley’s pressure was relentless until the hour mark with a sitter falling to Danny Waldren but he sidefooted wide from Ming’s centre from ten yards with the goal at his mercy.  

The match calmed down as the visitors gained control, but there were no real openings for the visitors, even after Swaibu’s second yellow card ended up stretching the game.

The former Lincoln City defender mistimed a tackle from behind on substitute Danny Edwards leaving referee Craig Hicks little option, even if his first booking had been harsh.

Ming, however, was still providing an outball for the hosts while Jeromme Sobers, who came on to fill Swaibu’s void at centre half, coped manfully with City’s pressure.  

And Bromley saved the best for last with Ming’s 90^th minute cross half cleared as far as Fuseini who drilled the ball back across goal for Pacquette to slide in and grab the winner, sending the home crowd into raptures.

The hosts may be especially grateful to they scored when they did, as the goal finally jolted City’s misfiring attack into life with Glover seeing a shot deflected wide by Waldren before spurning their best chance with the last kick of the game.

A crescendo of whistles rang around Hayes Lane as Thompson punted a long kick forward onto Glover’s head. His flick on fell kindly for City substitute Michael Taylor who stole a march down the left side of the penalty area, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide of the far post with Welch beaten and the whistle that mattered was blown, along with Worcester’s FA Cup dreams.

The better side may not have won this game, but no one can argue that Bromley do not deserve their trip to League Two Fleetwood. Fifteen battled hardened minutes with ten men has earned Bromley another fifteen minutes of fame.

*Post match reaction with Worcester City boss Carl Heeley can be found here and here.

BROMLEY: Welch, Ming, Patterson, Fuseini, Swaibu, Harwood, Waldren, Jones (Malcolm 58), Joseph-Dubois (Sobers 77), Pacquette, Buchanan (Finn 66).

Unused subs: Howard, Rhule, Boateng, Daly.

Goal: Pacquette 90.

WORCESTER CITY: Thompson, Weir, Deeney, Thorley, Whitehead, Rowe, Breeze, Elvins, Symons (Edwards 74), Glover, Mills (Taylor 88).

Unused subs: Birley, Ayres, Polan, Khan, Sargeant (g/k).

STAR MAN: Ali Fuseini (Bromley)

Had his shaky moments, but his constant voice and presence in midfield guided his team through the tough parts of this clash. Gave Bromley the platform to get forward when they did get the ball, pinged good passes into key areas and got forward at the right times, setting up the winner late on when other central midfielders would have sat back with ten men. A massive influence on the result. 

Report: Bashley 1-1 Gosport Borough - FA Cup 1st Qual Rd

STAR MAN:
Charlie Knight

A MIXED day for Rob Gradwell, a mixed week for Gary Middleton and another last ditch fightback for Gosport Borough saw this FA Cup tie head over to a Privett Park replay.

A cracking cup clash that had a nervy edge throughout seemed destined to end in Bashley's favour following debutant Gradwell's goal with his first touch after 50 seconds, but after a host of chances went begging at both ends, Middleton's inadvertent touch in the dying embers saved Borough's Wembley dream for another year. 

The Bash defender, whose crisp volley sealed an injury time win over Bedworth United the week before repeated his net bulging exploits at the wrong end, turning into the unlikeliest of Gosport heroes.


The visitors meanwhile kept plugging away despite a torrent of second half Bashley pressure and ended up saving the day as they did in last year's play-off final with Poole Town. 

Gradwell's explosive entrance, bursting through to flick home Charlie Knight's clever cross was the start of a decent performance from the former Basingstoke front man, but he will be kicking himself for not ending the contest with a pair of glorious chances in the second half that could yet come back to bite Bash. 

Middleton meanwhile had a solid enough day before getting the last touch on a deep free kick after Gosport substitute Luke King had made a nuisance of himself. Both Bash players will feel flat despite a good showing on the day.

DEBUT GOAL: Rob Gradwell

After the opener the visitors dominated the first half and arguably should have led at the interval. New signing Steffan Gaisie bullied the Bash backline at times, drawing a smart low stop from Joe Prodomo in the 4th minute before further chances went begging for the usually prolific Justin Bennett and Daniel Smith. 


The second half was a totally different animal though, and for all of Gosport's dominance before the break, it was bettered by the hosts with some neat and tidy approach play.


Gradwell skied two efforts from close range within ten minutes of the restart, the first after a swirling cross from Knight, the second after good work between Jack Smith and James Stokoe.


Sammy Igoe's low drilled effort kept Prodomo alert on the hour while Bennett headed over at the far post shortly afterwards, but Bash were in the ascendency, Stokoe forcing Nathan Ashmore into a point blank save that the Borough custodian repeated to deny Brad Strickland with five minutes to go. 


Bashley's best chance to end the contest came seconds later when Tom Hill skewed horribly wide with the goal at his mercy and Frank Gray's men were made to pay as the clock struck 90 with Middleton's touch trickling agonisingly over the line. 


The feeling at the final whistle was that Bashley may have missed their chance, but if they play the same way in the replay, Gray's charges are capable of getting a result. Gosport's tenacity gives them another bite at the cherry but they will need to show their quality for longer spells to make it count on home soil. 


*Post match reaction from both managers along with my report for the Bournemouth Echo can be found here. 

BASH: Prodomo, Smith, Finlay, Strickland, Middleton, Richardson, Casey, Hill, Stokoe, Gradwell (Lompato-Pires 88), Knight. 

Unused subs: Gazzard, Farren, Archbold, Gamble, Kearn (g/k). 

Goal: Gradwell 1.

GOSPORT: Ashmore, Woodward, Martin, Poate, Molyneaux, Ford (King 77), Igoe, Smith, Gaisie (Norton 50), Bennett, Wooden. 

Unused subs: Cook, Wilde, Jones, May. 

Goal: Middleton (og) 90. 

STAR MAN: Charlie Knight (Bashley)

Gave the hosts and out-ball in the first half, ran at defenders and tracked back with equal vigour. Got at his marker, Portsmouth target Daniel Woodward, throughout and was unlucky with a few refereeing decisions. Ashmore's double save late on turned the game, but Knight's overall performance deserves the accolade. Knight's class and higher league pedigree is starting to shine through when it matters. 

News: Table topping Killick wants Poole to play it again

PLAY IT AGAIN: Killick

TABLE topping Poole Town boss Tom Killick would wipe away the Dolphins’ strong start to the season to have another bite at the FA Cup cherry.

With his side leading the Southern League South and West table with four wins and a draw from their five games, Killick amazingly said this week that he would play all the games again in an effort to win the league match at Taunton and the FA Cup match at Yate Town which Poole lost 5-0.

The defeat left Killick’s charges kicking their heels this weekend prior to a trip to Beaconsfield SYCOB in the FA Trophy and the ultra-competitive Tatnam chief would turn back the clock if he could to seek a perfect record.

When asked if he would restart the season given the option, Killick told theonionsack: “Yeah, I think so, we’d have another good crack at the FA Cup and the points we dropped at Taunton.

“I would love to still be in the FA Cup, I know that’s a little bit picky but the Cup is so important financially and it gives us a weekend where we have no game, nothing to be involved in.

“The Cup for players and teams at our level is brilliant and going out was a huge disappointment and there is no point pretending otherwise but it is done now and our league form is very strong so that partially makes up for it at least.”

News: Artificial pitches allowed in FA Cup qualifying

3G FOR ME: Richard Evans

Football clubs with artificial pitches will be allowed to play home matches in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup after the FA changed their rules in time for the 2012-13 season.


All FA Cup games previously had to be played on grass, with entrants who play on synthetic surfaces such as 3G pitches forced to find alternative provision for home games.


The Football Association wrote to clubs with artificial surfaces today informing them that:

"The Challenge Cup Committee have now decided to allow the use of artificial pitches in the Qualifying Competition but not in the Competition Proper and provided that any artificial pitch is on The FA Register of Artificial Pitches."

Amongst the beneficiaries of the new rules are Maidstone United of the Ryman League, who have just moved into their impressive new Gallagher's Stadium, and Evostik Northern Premier League club Sutton Coldfield Town and their tenants Romulus. 


However, once a club reaches the competition proper, the stage at which League One and Two clubs enter, 3G surfaces will be banned again, with any qualifiers having to find alternative provision. 


Romulus manager Richard Evans told theonionsack this afternoon that he thinks the decision is the first step towards more 3G pitches being rolled out at higher levels.


"We'll be pleased to be able to play at home and I think it's going to end up in the professional game soon.


"3G pitches are as good as grass and they should be allowed at all levels - if they are good enough for Russia to use in World Cup qualifiers then they should be good enough here."


The move brings the Cup in line with the FA Trophy, a knock-out competition for non league clubs at the top four levels of the football pyramid - synthetic surfaces are allowed in the Trophy until the First Round Proper, when Conference National teams enter.


As things stand, the Football Conference do not allow clubs with non grass pitches to be promoted into its league competition, but this could change with the Football League discussing merits of synthetic surfaces last season. Feeder leagues below the Conference allow them subject to the FA being satisfied with their quality. 


Asked if the move would make a difference for sides used to playing on 3G surfaces, Evans added: "No, not at all. It will be the same as playing on grass last season - it will be a bonus for any team who can play good football on a good surface."