FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
The Saffrons, Eastbourne
Admission: £7.00
Programme: £1.50
Admission: 162
Saturday's FA Cup Preliminary Round games threw up a couple of replays to be played this evening, and although initially I was more tempted with a visit to Newhaven, for their game against higher graded Sheppey United with a mouthwatering local derby at Lewes in the next round to play for, I eventually settled for this game, as a former work colleague of mine was going and I was looking forward to having a good catch up. It turned out to be a good choice for the game itself as well, with plenty of drama to witness as the evening unfolded.
This replay was required after the original tie was drawn 1-1 at Windsor's home ground on Saturday, with Eastbourne requiring an equaliser in the 77th minute to force the replay. By all accounts, they were quite fortunate to force the replay, with Virginia Water having the better throughout most of the game. After replacing their manager, and much of their squad, in the summer, Eastbourne Town have made a solid start to their season in the Southern Combination League Premier Division, having won two and drawn one of their four league games so far. In the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, they won 2-1 at home against Steyning Town. Virginia Water have made a not dissimilar start to their season in the Combined Counties League Premier Division, having won one and last the other of their two league games so far, and won 1-0 at home to Hilltop in the previous round.
On an unusually cool evening, by recent standards, with drizzly rain falling during the first half, after a bright start by the hosts, the visitors then took more control of the game, although both sides struggled to create many clear goalscoring opportunities. And the scoreline remained goalless at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, but the deadlock was broken by Eastbourne Town when the ball was crossed in from the left wing, just evaded being headed home at the near post but the ball fell to Lloyd Francis, who just managed to get to the ball ahead of the wrong footed defender to prod it past the keeper. But their lead was to last barely a minute, as Virginia Water were then awarded a penalty when James Goodey ran in from the left before being brought down in the area by Freddie Legg. Casey Bocarro emphatically into the roof of the net, above the keeper's dive. No further goals were scored in regular time, so extra time was required.
The first half of extra time passed by without goals, but early in the second half, it was the visitors who took the lead when a throw in was launched into the penalty area, the keeper ran and jumped towards the ball, but completely missed it as it sailed over his head, bouncing to the far post where sub Reece Probert tapped home from a couple of yards out. The keeper bitterly complained that he had been fouled, to the extent he was shown a yellow card - any contact did look very minimal to me. That was looking like the decisive goal as the clock ticked down, but barely a minute from the end, Eastbourne were awarded a penalty when Oliver Davies was chopped down in the area, and Nathan Hover struck the ball into the roof of the net. The final whistle blew shortly after, so that the tie had to be settled by a penalty shoot-out.
Eastbourne stepped up first, but after both teams scored their first penalty, Eastbourne saw their second saved. Virginia Water scored their, to seize the advantage. But after Eastbourne scored their third, Virginia Water's hit the right hand post and bounced away. Both teams scored their fourth, but each team's fifth was saved, Virginia Water's taken by their goalkeeper Matthew Jones, and Eastbourne's keeper Chris Winterton got up from saving that penalty to take his side's sixth, which he scored, before saving Virginia Water's sixth, to win the tie for Eastbourne Town, who can now look forward to a home tie against Southern League Premier Division South outfit Hanwell Town in the first qualifying round.
Video highlights of the game can be viewed by clicking here
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