Peter Bentley Challenge Cup Semi Final
The Oval, Eastbourne United
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3
My first taste of this year’s silly season was delayed a little more by my desire to watch Little Common, a team I have a soft spot for, take part in the league cup semi-final very much as underdogs.
A glance at the league tables indicated the size of the task in hand for Little Common to reach the final, as they were in seventh place in the second tier, Division One, of the Southern Combination Football League, with 13 wins and two draws from their 29 league games, whereas Lancing were in fourth place in the division above, the Premier Division, with 22 wins and five draws from their 36 League games. This has been a good season for Little Common in Cup competitions though, reaching three Cup quarter finals and beating higher league opponents on three occasions so far. To reach tonight’s semi final, Little Common have beaten Haywards Heath 0-2 away, Bexhill United 3-2 at home, Oakwood 4-3 at home, and although they lost 2-1 away at Broadbridge Heath in the quarter final, Little Common were reinstated when it was discovered that Broadbridge Heath had fielded an ineligible player. Lancing had beaten Worthing United away on penalties, Hailsham Town 4-1 at home, and Hassocks 4-0 at home in the quarter final. Little Common would have extra incentive to reach the final this evening as today would have been the birthday of club founder and chairman Ken Cherry, who passed away earlier this year.
On a glorious spring evening, Lancing unsurprisingly had the better of the first half, creating plenty of goalscoring chances, but were denied by a combination of bodies getting in the way, poor finishes and some inspired goalkeeping, and Little Common's player manager Russell Eldridge got his chest in the way of a powerful goal bound shot on the line. But it was Little Common who came even closer to opening the scoring in the first half when a scuffed shot by Lewis Hole hit the post, and on 36 minutes, Common's Dan Ethersby forced an excellent save. But Lancing would have wondered how on earth they did not go into the interval in the lead, such was their supremacy, but one wondered if they would be made to pay.
The second half was much more even, as Lancing seemed to want to play a short, neat passing game that would probably suit when played on their home plastic pitch, but was not so suited to this hard, bobbly surface. Little Common did well in closing down and hassling their opponents, and their more direct play forwards looked the more threatening. It looked increasingly likely that the underdogs would force extra time at worst as Lancing barely looked a threat, until they were awarded a penalty for a foul tackle on substitute Alex Fair. Fair himself slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. That proved a hammer blow to Little Common, who did not really threaten until deep into injury time when a shot following a free kick swung into the box went over the bar.
So it was Lancing who progressed to a May Day bank holiday final against Newhaven, and they deserved their win tonight. Great credit should go to the underdogs Little Common though, who have it their all tonight with an energetic display and a fabulous display by the goalkeeper - but in the end, it just wasn't to be their night.
No comments:
Post a Comment