SUMAS HOLD THEIR NERVE IN PENALTY TRIUMPH
WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK booked their place in the next round of the FA Vase with a penalty shootout triumph over Hallen.
The second qualifying round kicked off at Lowther Road, and Olly Noyes attacked along the left-wing but Hallen defenders cleared the ball, and a long approach found Reece Hedges in a position to run in from the left and shoot across the face of goal, narrowly missing the far post.
In reply, Sumas returned to the opposite end, gaining a corner in the process, but the ball went straight to Harry Thomas-Barker, keeper for Hallen.
After Sumas were deemed offside, Hedges took a free kick for Hallen that lacked power, which was easier for Kanya to save.
In the 41st minute, Captain Martin Stowell clinched a goal to give the visitors a timely lead in the run up to half time, although Luke Scope tried to reach the ball before Thomas-Barker who got to it first.
Hallen started the second-half reasonably well but Sumas regained the ball and worked up-field and took a corner kick with no outcome.
However, in the 51st minute, James Clark received the ball and ran into the Hallen area shooting effectively.
The equaliser raised hopes for the Sumas, although they had a free kick soon after the restart, but the ball was a fraction too high for Liam Eagle to get an accurate header past the keeper. Substitutes were made as Jack Webb replaced Olly Noyes but Hallen brought along just one man on the bench.
Curtis shot wide, and Sumas were stringing passes together, although that spell culminated in another miss by Sumas.
The last action was by Sumas with Liam Eagle heading wide of the mark.
Sumas held their nerve from the penalty spot to progress to the next round with a 5-4 win.
Sumas manager Eliot Whitehouse said: “In terms of the result, it’s excellent and has got us where we wanted.
“We probably should have dealt with it in the 90 minutes and put the game to bed, but it was all about getting through to the next round, and we’ve done that, so we’re very pleased.
“There was an element of nervousness, and there was a bit of the unknown as I’ve never been in a penalty shootout with these boys before, so it was all very new.
“We already had in mind the penalty takers but there had to be an element of belief.”