FA CUP (1 Prelim) ~ WORKSOP TOWN 4-4 EASTWOOD CFC

Worksop Town.....4 (Baxendaie 6', Sennett-Neilson 29' and 75', McDonnell 51')
Eastwood CFC.....4 (Parton 13' Moore 43' and 92', Hunter 72')

Red Badgers earn a replay against higher opposition

Following an eventful week at the club including a senior resignation, Managerial interviews and finally a new coaching team in place, the Red Badgers travelled up the M1 to do battle with Step 4 side Worksop Town of 'The Pitchin In' Northern Premier League.

This reprieve in the FA Cup was a result of our previous victors Bottesford Town bring expelled from the competition.

Team captain Jack Andrews and back-up 'keeper Lewis Scott were unavailable and caretaker Manager Zander Shayler took charge with assistance from Academy coaches Adrian Gibson and Scott Meesom. Shayler included 4 sixteen year olds and 2 17 year olds on the bench.

It seemed, on paper, to be a formidable task travelling to "Step higher" opposition and so it proved in the opening exchanges as the Tigers sprayed the ball around as befitted their status. The go ahead goal came after 6 minutes when in-form Player/Coach James Baxendale latched onto a loose ball some 12 yards out and fired the ball wide of Mark Rathbone. Eastwood responded by mounting a decent attack of their own as Sam Moore fed Finn Hunter and Jan Budtz had to make a smart reflex save to keep Hunter's shot out.

Minutes later Rathbone then kept his side in the game with a tremendous save. Zayn Hakeem managed to shrug off the attentions of David Boafo and hit a screamer towards goal, but the ‘keeper got both hands on the venomous strike to push it wide.

13 minutes on the clock and Eastwood produced a fine leveller. Moore was fouled by Connor Smythe some 20 yards out and from the resultant free kick Callum Jones produced a peach of a cross into the box which was met superbly by McKenna Parton who smashed the ball past a despairing Budtz.

The game ebbed and flowed with plenty of fine football on show and both goalkeepers were kept on their toes. Just before the half hour mark the Tigers took the lead. The industrious Hakeem crossed from the left and the ball fell invitingly to early Substitute Aaron Sennett-Neilson who fired in a shot which hit the bar and bounced down onto the goal line. Shades of Geoff Hurst in the '66 World Cup final perhaps ? No goal line technology in North Notts yet so no bleep on Mr Moore's watch and the officials deemed that the ball had crossed the line for 2-1. Hakeem was proving a handful and Rathbone, in 10 frantic minutes, saved well from the number 10 and then denied another fine effort from Smythe.

Two minutes before the break Eastwood got back into the game. Hunter fed skipper Jermain Hollis who beat Ben Turner tight on the left bye line and delivered a low hard cross which was converted by Moore. 2-2 at the interval and the large crowd were certainly getting value for their admission fee.

The home team took the field and played with their usual forward momentum and purpose and it was no surprise when the lead was restored 6 minutes into the second period. Baxendale delivered a pinpoint corner from the right which was met by leading scorer Steven McDonnell at the far post. His go-ahead header was a goal all the way as he rose above the visitor's defence.

On the hour mark Hakeem beat his man wide left with pace and skill but saw his drilled cross towards Sennett-Neilson cleared expertly behind by Boafo. The action never abated and both sides carved out decent chances but both custodians and their fellow defenders kept firm. The deserve equaliser and suxth goal of the contest came after 72 minutes. Jones crossed from the right and Moore hit the post with Budtz beaten. Hunter was on hand in the right place to tap in for his first senior Eastwood goal.

Still the end to end action ensued and 3 minutes later the goal of the game. Sennett-Neilson, by far the Tigers best player, received a ball from his Captain Jake Picton 22 yards from goal and rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner to the deafening rapturous delight of the home faithful.

Game over ? Not on your life as Eastwood counterattacked with pace and power. Their persistent reward came in stoppage time. After more fine work by Jones on the right Moore received the ball in what seemed an impossible situation on the left bye-line. Quite what Budtz had in mind by trying to tackle and dispossess the Eastwood striker to get the ball back 5 yards from his goal is anyone's guess. Unflustered and undeterred, Moore skipped round the keeper to fire low into the far corner for the fully deserved Red Badger equaliser.

Mr Moore bought proceedings to a close barely a minute later and Eastwood had pulled off a remarkable draw on the road.

The new Gaffer, accompanied by his incoming Coach watching from the stands, must have been mightily impressed in what he saw in his new team. The application, endeavour, hard work and sheer courage of his young team was a sight to behold. From 1 to 11 they put in a shift against higher ranked opposition on a day they and the travelling support will savour for a long time.

I caught up with defender David Boafo on the coach home and he reflected:
“End to end stuff wasn’t it ? It’s been a difficult week but this is the FA Cup and we all want to be in it in front of a big crowd. We also needed to keep our morale up and help the younger guys along. We had nothing to lose today, we were out of the cup last week and we only found out a couple of days ago that we had a second bite at it.

To come back 4 times in a game shows we don’t become a bad team overnight and I thought that we got what we deserved today. It’s a great competition and we showed that never say die attitude. To a man everybody worked their socks off today. We conceded some soft goals, which we need to sort out, but Moorsey worked tirelessly up top today and got his rewards with 2 goals. I can’t praise him highly enough working tirelessly and running the channels.

The youngsters played well with young Finn stepping up today getting on the ball and trying to make things happen. Before the game we told the young boys look this is a big opportunity and they all took it.

Unusual position for me today at the heart of the defence but I’ve done it before but I stepped up and dug in. People on the outside may think the worst after 3 defeats but we know what we’re all about on the inside and we know what we have to do on the pitch and start picking up league points.

It’s half the job done today and we go again Wednesday when we can welcome the Skipper back for the replay”

Attendance ~ 420
Referee ~Bradley Moore
Assistants ~ Ian Cox and Gavin Scott

Worksop Town ~ Jan Budtz, Ben Turner, Connor Smythe, Jack Broadhead, Jake Picton (C) Lewis Gibbens, James Baxendale, Steven McDonnell, Aleksandrs Starcenko (Cody Cromack 45') Zayn Hakeem (Ben Tomlinson 79') Ify Ofoegbu (Aaron Scott-Neilson 11')
Caution ~ Cromack 82' foul)

Eastwood CFC ~ Mark Rathbone, Callum Jones, Jermain Hollis (C) David Boafo, Ben Wallis, Lloyd Patterson, McKenna Parton, Finnlay Hunter (Caden McGrath 84’) Luis Parkes, Sam Moore, Lavelle White (Jay Crumbie 82’)
Unused substitutes ~Alfie Beeston, Ewan Gibson, Blair Anderson, Rob Osbourne and Jack Messom.
Cautions ~ Boafo (66’ foul), Jones (85' foul)