Flackwell are spot on to see off Rams
Flackwell Heath FC: Ayres' side keep cool to beat Beaconsfield on penalties
Beaconsfield Town 1,
Flackwell Heath 1
(Flackwell won 5-4 on penalties) Flackwell Heath have teed up a semi-final against Reading FC in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup after overcoming step three side Beaconsfield Town on penalties at Holloways Park on Tuesday.
The Heathens fell behind on the stroke of half-time to a clinical finish from former Marlow player Kameron English, but they responded well to take the tie to a shoot-out with Jethro Odumosu firing home at the near post midway through the second half.
They then calmly slotted home all five of their penalties in the shootout to seal a 5-4 victory and a home tie against the Royals u23s side.
The first half looked like it would finish goalless until Beaconsfield won a free kick in stoppage time and worked the ball to English on the left side of the area. He managed to get the ball out of his feet and finish low past Jack Brooker to make it 1-0 to the Rams.
Chris Ayres’ side didn’t panic however, and they got themselves back on level terms in the 67th minute when Odumosu ran onto a lofted ball over the top of the Rams’ defence from Abdel El Jalaoui. The Heathens striker collected the ball and advanced into the penalty area before catching out Tommy Dymott with a thumping low shot that flew into the bottom right-hand corner.
With the hosts having been reduced to 10 men late on, the visitors might have won it with nearly the last kick of the game when Charlie Malin sent a rocket of a shot towards the top corner. However, Dymott managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar and the ball bounced behind.
The 157 spectators inside Holloways
Park were then treated to a shoot-out to decide the winner and Malin, Lewis Patrick, Jack Shakespeare, Callum Mapley and Marcus Mealing all scored after Beaconsfield missed with their first spot-kick.
The Heathens will host Reading’s u23s side on a date to be confirmed, however, both semi-finals are due to be played by Monday, April 22. On the other side of the draw, Marlow host MK Dons at Oak Tree Road.
The final is currently scheduled to take place at Slough Town’s Arbour Park on Tuesday, May 14.
“To go away to an established step three side and win, credit to the boys,” said assistant boss Paul Shone. “You raise your levels for these games, you get to set your marker and see where we are.
“We've always believed we can compete with anyone at our level and the level above, but to go and do it to Beaconsfield is great, and obviously we've done it to Slough
in the last round as well. Credit to the boys to go there and deliver and hold their nerve, scoring five from five penalties to see us through. It's been a very good week. The first half was an even game. They probably edged it but our keeper hasn't had to pull off save after save after save. We've had the better half chances, but they scored just before half-time and that can sometimes be a sucker punch. We came out for the second half with a different mindset, they had a good 10 minutes but they never put our goal under seige so to speak.
“We managed to get the equaliser and them going down to 10 men probably helped. If it was a league game you'd say a draw was probably a fair result.
“It was a good cup tie and the people watching probably went away thinking Flackwell are a good side, which we are. It was good to put on a display against them and compete.”