MOLES DIG GHOSTS GET On penalties) IN DEEP AS SPOOKED!
BINFIELD progressed to the last 16 of the FA Vase for the first time in their history after defeating Fakenham Town on penalties at the Daly Group Stadium.
The history-making Moles were twice forced to come from behind in regulation time through Josh Helmore before goalkeeper Chris Grace became the hero by saving two home spot-kicks in the shootout.
Joint Binfield bosses Carl Withers and Jamie McClurg were delighted with their side’s showing, the latter saying: “On reflection it was a really tough game. We knew it was going to be like that but I think we dealt with the pressure better.
“Two-all was probably a fair result, although I think we had a few more chances overall but Fakenham defended resolutely and their goalkeeper had a really good game.
“They’re a terrific group of lads in that changing room and deserve everything that they got today.”
Fakenham took the lead in the sixth minute when Callum Brain weaved his way past four defenders before firing into the back of the net as several visiting players looked for the offside flag.
The Hellenic League Premier Division outfit were back on level terms 12 minutes before the interval when Sean Moore laid the ball on a plate for Josh Helmore to stab home from five yards.
Goalkeeper Tom Coombe kept Fakenham’s lead intact going into the break by keeping out Moore’s header at pointblank range.
After losing skipper Matty Franks to injury three minutes into the second period, Fakenham got their noses back in front for a second time after 60 minutes.
Visiting goalkeeper Chris Grace was unable to hold onto a cross and Brain bundled the
ball into the empty net for his second goal of the afternoon.
No sooner had they taken the lead for a second time, it was all-square again as Helmore netted his second goal of the tie.
Brain then rattled the Binfield crossbar with a stunning effort but when he limped off with a tight calf, the Ghosts were forced to dig in for the final 20 minutes of the contest.
Binfield were clinical from the spot as Grace pulled off great saves to deny both Shane Akers and Josh Hazell for the Ghosts.
Beaten Fakenham manager Andy Cunningham, whose players had already knocked out two other Step Five sides to get to this stage, said: “I’m proud of the players to scrap as well as they did and you can’t fault their effort.
“I had a chat with their gaffer before it went to penalties and probably thought that our penalty luck had run out prior to taking them and that’s how it proved.
“I think Binfield having a competitive game last Saturday gave them a slight edge in terms of that physicality and the tempo was a little bit higher from them than it was from us at times.”