The County 2 - 5 Tilehurst YM
Super sub Richard Godfrey's late double ended a spirited County's hopes of a stunning fightback as YM moved in to the 5th round of the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup.
Tilehurst started this game strongly and their passing game was rewarded early on as they took the lead through Ryan Maslen's with only 3 minutes on the clock.
County failed to clear a YM corner effectively and the ball broke outside the area to Maslen's whose well hit left foot strike flew past the County keeper low in to the bottom right hand corner.
Tilehurst's front line of Tancock and Gill looked strong playing against an ageing County back four, and they extended their lead on 12 minutes.
A neat one two between Harding and David Gill ended with the latter lobbing over the onrushing keeper from 12 yards to make it 2-0.
Then on 20 minutes it seemed as though the game was sewn up for YM as David Gill was put through by a fine through ball from Ben Koslicki. This time however, his lofted shot beat the keeper only to rebound off the County cross bar before being cleared to safety.
County came back strongly after this and started to exert pressure on Tilehurst, and enjoyed some sustained peirods of possession but they could not find a way past an inspired Bobby Buck who made a string of excellent saves.
In the 40th minute the ball broke to Chris Taylor for County and his well struck thunderbolt from fully 30 yards was somehow tipped by Buck on to the bar, before bouncing on the line and away, for the last of the action in the first half.
The second half Tilehurst started strongly and a good passing move led to Mark Harding going one on one with the County keeper. His low shot was well saved and rebounded to the edge of the area where a clumsy tangle saw Adam Cole fouled in the area and the excellent ref Ray Hancock had no option but to give the penalty.
Up stepped Mark Harding who slotted home for his 5th goal of the season.
On 60 minutes YM introduced Richard Godfrey to the action to play his first game since recovering from a self induced liver injury, and he soon sprang to life outpacing the County full back only for his scuffed shot to drift wide.
And buoyed by this County went down the other end and after a well struck shot that Bobby did well to save, County followed up and tucked away the rebound to make it 3-1.
County were growing in to the game again and started to create more chances with Bobby Buck making two World class saves, and the cross bar intervening twice more, to keep the score at 3-1.
County did pull the score back to 3-2 in the 72nd minute as a clever through ball put them through 1 on 1 to score past a stranded Bobby in goal.
The game could have gone either way at this point until in the 77th minute, the game was effectively wrapped up. Mark Harding's free kick from the right in line with the County penalty area was only half cleared to Richard Godfrey who smashed the ball in to the net on the half volley from just inside the area for 4-2.
The win was sealed in the 80th minute when Mark Tancock's deep cross was headed in by Godfrey for his second of the game.
There was still time for Bobby to make another top save with 5 minutes left on the clock but Tilehurst saw the game out and now meet Earley Old Guard in the 5th round next Sunday.
