When people say that game had everything sometimes that is an exaggeration but this quater-final did have everything including a red card,numerous yellows,an own goal,a goal worthy of winning any match,a penalty shoot out,a mud bath for a pitch and somewhwere amongst all that was some good football. After going 120 minutes last week the last thing the boys wanted was another two hour marathon but that is what we got. We started the game brightly and could have been two up within 10 minutes. Elmstead wern't causing any problems and we looked comfortable but from there first meaningful attack they won a corner which was put in the box and after a scramble unlucky Wayne swung a boot and it flew in the opposite corner. The goal which was against the run of play seemed to dishearten the boys. For the next 20 minutes we couldnt get a foot on the ball which frustrated us. Terry got himself a stupid yellow for kicking the ball away which meant he was walking a tightrope for the rest of the game against a ref who wasn't afraid of showing more cards. 1 nil down at the break the boys looked down and already defeated. We made a switch at half time on the right hand side to give that spark we were missing. Our task was made harder when Terry got a second yellow for hacking down the winger outside the area. The boys knew we had just over half hour to keep our cup dream alive and after a scrappy half hour where neither team dominated Barry picked up the ball deep in his own half and started to run he went past 4 players with ease and when it got to the defenders he still had to pace and trickery to dance past them and put the ball wide of the keeper. It was truly an exceptional goal which will be remembered for a long time. To be honest the players looked nackered and f****d which wasn't surprising and playing on that lump of mud wasn't helping either. So level after ninety and looking back we had chances to win it through Wayne,Darren,Bradley and Rooney but at the back we had Ben to thank for some quality saves and an all round good defensive performance especially Michael. Into extra-time and it was Elmstead who looked nackered and we looked like we had the better of them but we still couldnt get that important second. In extra-time we had players still putting in the effort even though they looked like they had nothing left like Sean,Gary who had switched to right back and Wayne to name just a few. To be honest all 11 players out there played their part and the place in the final was going to be decided by penalties. First up was Rooney and he had his effort saved but the linesman wasn't happy that the keeper had come off his line and Rooney has a second chance which he luckily squeezed past the the keeper. It was a carbon copy from their first which had to be re-taken and Elmstead had squared it up at 1-1 Darren tucked his away and so did Elmstead 2-2. Michael planted his away with ease 3-2 Elmstead's next was blazed high and wide and were now in control. Jack on his return stepped up to score which put us one kick away form the final. Elmstead wern't done yet 4-3 they made sure we had to score our fifth to go through and Bradley stepped up to again squeeze it past the keeper and so the celebrations started. That was our hardest game of the season and the boys knew that we had rode our luck a little. Now onto April 11th where our first final in two years will be against Woolwich who we ahve already beaten in the league this season but we cant go in there thinking that our name is already on the George Harley Trophy.
