Clean sheets are key to Boro’s winning streak
FARNBOROUGH Football Club created a piece of history last week with the first team making it 11 consecutive wins in all competitions after back-to-back home victories.
Last Tuesday evening in the Southern League Premier South, Boro hosted a Beaconsfield Town side captained by Boro’s former promotion-winning midfielder Scott Donnelly. Despite an evenly contested first half, Farnborough still found a way to edge in front on the stroke of half-time when centreback Seth Owens connected with Elis Watts’ in-swinging corner for his second goal in as many games.
The game was settled on 70 minutes when Paul Hodges accelerated past the Beaconsfield Town midfield and fed Michael Fernandes whose touch took him into the box and the resulting shot across the goalkeeper rolled into the far corner.
Attentions turned to the first round proper of the FA Trophy on Saturday afternoon, with one of the country’s recent in-form teams, Banbury United, visiting the Easy As
HGV Stadium. The Puritans are currently unbeaten in the Southern League Premier Central this season, sitting third in their league with games in hand.
Before the match, Farnborough completed the signing of former QPR, Woking, Bromley, Ebbsfleet United and Billericay Town midfielder Frankie Sutherland. The 27-year-old went straight into the starting line-up for his full debut.
Boro hit the woodwork a quarter of an hour into the game as striker David Pratt turned Reggie Young’s goalbound effort onto the post and the hosts cleared.
The winning goal arrived on 42 minutes though when Fernandes burst down the left wing and into the box, only for his low cross to be turned into the net by Banbury United captain Connor Roberts for an own goal.
United huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser but any chance of getting back into the tie disappeared when defender Jay Williams was shown a straight red card for bringing down Pratt when he was through on goal.
Farnborough’s third clean sheet in succession helped seal a spot in the
FA Trophy second round proper. On Saturday, Steve Claridge’s Salisbury come to the Easy As HGV Stadium for a 3pm kick-off.