Emirates FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay
Buy TicketsBillericay Town
5-2
Tuesday 22nd October 2019 | 19:45
New Lodge | Attendance: 1,113
Sutton United
Venue: New Lodge
Address: Blunts Wall Road, Billericay , CM12 9SA
Starting XI
Position | Player | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
26 | ||||
63' | ||||
6 | ||||
46' | ||||
20 | ||||
81' | ||||
28 |
Substitutes
Position | Player | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
46' | ||||
25 | 63' | |||
27 | 81' | |||
1 |
FA Cup hopes end in Essex
Posted: 24th October 2019Sutton’s failure to take advantage of their chances in Saturday’s first meeting returned to haunt them in the replay at New Lodge where, despite the boost of an early Harry Beautyman goal, they were on the end of a chastening defeat. For the neutral it would have been a brilliant cup tie, and although U’s seemed without hope when the excellent Odysseus Alfa made it 4-1 to the hosts early in the second half, their response kept the crowd interested right to the end as Tommy Wright immediately reduced the arrears and they went close to making an even closer game of it before Jake Robinson’s largely irrevelant goal with the last kick of the game.
As might have been expected after the way they rescued their late equaliser on Saturday, Billericay started with momentum and Jamie Butler had to react sharply to cut out a low Robinson cross, but in the 10th minute U’s won a free kick on the right and Rob Milsom’s inswinging delivery was converted by Harry Beautyman’s head.
If U’s hoped that the goal would take the wind out of Billericay’s sails they were to be disappointed as the home side stormed back, wining several corners before levelling when Sam Deering’s free kick was headed down by Doug Loft and Robinson’s shot looped in off Jamie Butler, the far post, and possibly Milsom.
Alan Julian had to tip away a Jamie Collins header that threatened to creep under the angle of post and bar, but the force was with the hosts and when Jack Paxman collected a cross from Alfa he was allowed to turn and roll the ball back for Deering, whose first time shot beat Butler to his left. Eastmond had to block a shot from Alfie Potter in the six yard box, but it was a short-lived reprieve as Ben Goodliffe and Collins failed to deal with a long ball forward from Arjanit Krasniqi, and Robinson calmly lofted the ball over Butler. With U’s having little answer to the threat from Alfa, Paxman, Robinson and Potter it might have been worse as Robinson shot wide from a Potter cross, but the half ended with U’s on the attack, Beautyman’s looping header tipped over by Julian, who then denied the same player with a reflex save on the line from the resulting corner.
Sutton started the second half similarly, and there were appeals for a penalty as Wright seemed to be tripped, but referee Carl Brook waved the appeals away and Billericay swept to the other end, Potter finding Alfa on the left, and although U’s looked to have crowded him out he managed to hit a shot from just outside the penalty area that may have taken a slight deflection on its way in to the net.
It was a huge blow for U’s but their response was what their supporters would have wanted. Will Randall, who had replaced David Ajiboye at half time, posed an immediate threat, with one shot deflecting to Wright, whose scuffed effort rolled against the foot of the post, and a low cross met by Omar Bugiel whose shot was scrambled off the line by Julian. Wright did then score, following in after Bugiel’s low shot had come back off the post, and with over half an hour to go Sutton were right back in the game. Another goal in the next ten minutes would have set up a thrilling finish, but Beautyman’s low shot deflected over the bar off Julian’s legs, and Wright failed to direct a header when well placed and unmarked twelve yards out.
Pushing forward, U’s were always vulnerable to a quick counter attack and Alfa almost produced a carbon copy of his earlier goal, his shot this time pitching against the foot of the post and rebounding to safety. The game was still mostly played in the Billericay half, but U’s were unable to keep up the momentum and their last chance went when Kyel Reid, having done superbly to make space on the right, then shot over when a low ball in to the crowded six yard box might have yielded more success. Despite seven minutes of additional time they couldn’t create any more openings, and at the end of the last of those Moses Emmanuel broke clear to set up Robinson, who took his time before lifting the ball over Butler and set off the home team’s victorious celebrations.
Billericay: A Julian, L Ramsey, A Krasniqi, T Kefelas, R Henry, S Deering, A Potter, D Loft, J Robinson, J Paxman(sub M Emmanuel 73), O Alfa (sub B Nunn 90+6). Subs n/u E Agboola, D Oldaker, A Laurent, S Egole, J Reynolds. Booked: Kefelas, Robinson, Julian.
Referee: Carl Brook.