Bishop’s Storford 3 – 2 Wealdstone
Bishop's Stortford
1RR3 - 2
WealdstoneCatasTROPHY !
The result probably yes, but in the most part not the performance!
A young Stones side were good enough to take a two goal lead, but they were possibly a little bit too naïve to hold onto it as Stortford applied the pressure, the home side eventually running out winners by 3 – 2..
A bright start from both sides on the greasy surface saw the action switch from end to end, without either side creating a clear cut chance before on 26 minutes, Stones won a freekick. Lamb’s kick was headed on by Tilbury to Deadman, his first shot was parried but he recovered to score the rebound to give Stones the lead after a spell of pressure from the home side.
Stortford pushed Wealdstone back from the kick off, but again failed to test Carter in goal, though they limited Wealdstone to sporadic breakaways, Pither and Bamgbola’s pace and skill creating half chances for Tilbury and themselves before on 37 minutes, Tilbury was adjudged to have been fouled on the edge of the penalty box. Lamb’s kick was stopped by Deadman to allow Fergus Moore to shoot low and hard into the bottom corner of the net to increase the Stones lead to 2 – 0.
Stortford again attacked from the off, and they were rewarded just before half time when a slip from Amarteifio as he turned allowed the home forward to send in a cross come shot which Carter parried, only to clash with Matt Perry in trying to collect the ball at the second attempt. It looped across the six yard box where Braham had the easiest header to make the score 1 – 2 on 43 minutes.
As the rain stopped and the second half started, it was always going to be difficult for Wealdstone to cope with the pace of Paul and Braham if Stortford had the game under control and so it proved. On 64 minutes a slick move saw the ball knocked wide to Paul and his switch pass to Southam wrong footed the defence, Southam beating his man and then equalising with a shot from just inside the box.
Not to be outdone, Wealdstone pressed forward, both Tilbury and Pither going close from passes by Bamgbola, and Tunji himself hit a snap shot on the turn from the edge of the box only to see it rebound away from the post on 74 minutes. Two minutes later though, and Stortford took the lead. A long ball skidded back off the head of Tucker, and allowed Trevor Paul to outpace Amarteifio, beating Carter as the keeper came out to close him down, Stortford taking the lead for the first time in the tie, at 3 – 2.
Stones pressed hard for the equaliser, tired legs defeating them as much a sthe home defence, although they could well have been awarded two penalties, one when Pither was bundled over and another when Bamgbola was fouled as he beat the third defender as he cut into the penalty box, but it was not to be, the final score, 3 – 2 to Bishops Stortford.
Wealdstone: Andy Carter, Matt Perry, Fergus Moore (37), Robin Tucker, Billy Amarteifio (s83 Vinny Somers), Paul Lamb, John Deadman (26), Jason Shaw, Tunji Bamgbola, Ricky Pither, Danny Tilbury, Subs not used: Robert Connelley, Carl Hunt, Nathan Cobb.