BRENTWOOD V ROMFORD MATCH REPORT TIME FM

[luckypinkpants]

Brentwood Town 1 Romford 1 After Extra Time

 

Essex Senior League Cup Final (Brentwood win 5-4 on Penalties)

 

Ray Duffy reports from Oakside...

 

Brentwood made it a season treble, but only after taking a penalty shoot-out to beat ten-man Romford. It was a season finale which failed to meet expectations, partly perhaps due to tiredness, but also down to an inconsistent and poor referee in Michael Smith.

 

The final was in jeopardy mid-morning. The dry pitch, watered until 8am, was hard – was then subjected to downpours. Thankfully by 3pm the sun was out, and bar a strong breeze, conditions were perfect.

 

After an initial Romford flurry, it was Brentwood who enjoyed the best of the first 45, boosted by Mr Smith, who seemed to award almost every decision in favour of the league champions.

 

Boro had Ricky Mackin booked after just 3 minutes for not retreating at a free kick, Town had Tommy Lee shown a yellow for dissent, and then amazingly Paul Clayton was booked after challenging Brentwood keeper Mark Hardingham to a fifty-fifty ball. Incredibly Mr Smith failed to penalize the keeper despite his reaction and threatening stance over the prostrate midfielder.

 

The best chances, though few and far between, fell to Brentwood. Man of the Match, Neil Finn, tipped over from a Michael Begg cross/shot as early as the sixth minute, saved low from Nicky Cowley’s 25 yard free kick, before his knees came to the rescue, denying Tommy Lee. Finally the keeper combined with Mackin on the line to stop a Nicky Cowley header.

 

Romford failed to get any fluency, their best chances came in injury time – first Des Gallen failed to head past Hardingham when 1-on-1, then Gallen was the provider, but Petrit Elbi stabbed at the chance across the face of goal and wide.

 

After Tommy Lee had volleyed over early in the second half, Romford found their momentum, and a quick free kick caught Brentwood napping, but Gallen’s low shot was saved by Hardingham. Danny Rafis then blasted a volley wide, but should have used the space he was in to control the ball first.

 

Fifteen minutes from time the game changed, when Clayton committed a foul, was shown his second yellow and subsequently red, and Boro were down to ten men. Before they’d reorganized, Brentwood took the lead. Substitute, Lee Noble, seized on indecision in the Romford ranks and cut in from the right to drive the ball past Finn from 18 yards, into the bottom corner.

 

Brentwood looked to be home and dry, and a few bouts of cramp, helped eat away at the 11 minutes left. But they reckoned without the Romford spirit, and the boot of Elbi, who unleashed a wicked 25 yard effort to take the final to extra time.

 

You felt that would just prolong Romford’s agony, as the tired legs of ten men would be stretched by the extra pair for Brentwood. In fact Boro were the better side in the extra thirty minutes, and produced the only real chance of a winner, when Danny Downer was put through by Gallen, but his shot was blocked. And so to penalties…

 

If you’d have had money on two players to find the net in the shootout, it would probably have been Elbi and Gallen. Amazingly Gallen blasted over, while Elbi’s was saved by Hardingham, low to his left. Richard Ketchell went wide left and then Brentwood took the lead through Danny Dafter. John Maskell leveled and Nicky Cowley again nosed Town ahead, after Mr Smith provided more controversy, ordering a reatake after Finn had saved the first effort.

 

Andy Oxby simply chipped at Hardingham, who then turned from stopper to taker, but blasted his penalty so hard it came back off the underside of the bar. Cue Danny Downer with a confident low strike to level at 2-2, then Neil Finn turning Donovan Wilson’s attempt onto a post, and we were into sudden death.

 

Danny Rafis struck home, to the keeper’s bottom right and Romford had the advantage. Jimmy Knowles leveled at three apiece. Scott Walsh again put the pressure on Town, and Neil Finn was so nearly the hero, getting a hand to Micheal Begg’s penalty which made it 4-4. The unlucky Boro man was Lee Pyne, his well struck effort came back off the inside of the post, leaving Glen Golby to strike the winning penalty, into Finn’s bottom right hand corner.

 

So no silverware for Romford, despite an outstanding season. They will spend the summer looking to resolve their ground issue yet again, in order to be able to progress up the pyramid. For Brentwood, a very nice treble, and work to do during the close-season, for a crack at Ryman One North, next campaign.

 

Time FM Sport spoke to Mark Reed after the heartbreaker...

http://1075.timefm.com/?s=i0n4l8&p=17

 

 

Match Details:

 

Romford: Neil Finn, Richard Oxby, Kevin Neville, Ben Turner, John Maskell, Paul Clayton, Ricky Mackin, Danny Rafis, Des Gallen, Petrit Elbi, Andy Oxby

 

 

 

Subs Not Used: Chris Barry, Danny Mulrooney

 

Sending Off - Paul Clayton (Romford) 75 mins - second yellow card

 

Brentwood 1 Romford 0 (Lee Noble 79)

 

Brentwood 1 Romford 1 (Petrit Elbi 87)

 

Penalties Scored: John Maskell, Danny Downer, Danny rafis, Scott Walsh

 

 

 

[MCP]

one point didnt chris barry come on not lee pyne or am i going mad

[Baron of Black Fen]

The game was poor till ten minutes from time and two great goals. End to end stuff for the extra time but neither side looked like scoring.

The groundsman came on to paint the penalty spot and goal line, which had been missing all game. Then he proceeded to paint the "D" and end of penalty area, which amazed a lot of us behind the goal as the rest of the players were standing on half way line waiting to take their penalties. Almost as funny as that penalty chip in to Mark's hands.

[TB&G]

Originally Posted By: MCP

one point didnt chris barry come on not lee pyne or am i going mad

He sure did MCP but changing that wont make any difference to the result unfortunately so que sera sera!

[Kaiser Jnr]

Unlucky Romford. Congrats Brentwood