Tuesday 29th September 2009, Spa Road, Kick-Off 7:45pm, Essex Senior Cup supported by BBC Essex Round Two.
Penalties were all that could divide two evenly-matched sides in a thrilling Essex Senior Cup tie at Spa Road, Halstead goalkeeper Ed Wooten providing the late heroics as he oversaw a dramatic victory for the Ridgeons Eastern Counties League Division One side on spot-kicks.
The teams had previously shared four goals during 120 minutes of competitive action, with chances galore as each attempted to advance to the Third Round where the County’s Football League clubs enter the fray. Witham had moved in front on two occasions through John Watson, ironically from the penalty spot, and Niki Love though replies from substitutes Ryan Sutton and Liam Norley sent the game into a shootout.
Both sides on display were missing a number of key players through injury and suspension though it was the hosts who grabbed the lead on 17 minutes when a foul on Man-of-the-Match Sam Taylor gifted Watson the chance to confidently put Witham in front via a well-struck penalty to custodian Wooten’s right.
Halstead fashioned decent openings in spells of pressure for the remainder of the half without finding the net, Ray Turner adjusting his body to stoop and direct a header over while Adam Gillespie’s touch took him between defenders and through only to be denied by Witham stopper Anthony Burton. At the other end, a free-flowing move by Danny Greaves’ men saw Taylor’s volley bury itself into the side-netting.
Twelve minutes after the break Halstead’s Tom Webb somehow found his strike at goal scrambled around the post by Burton though it was Witham who looked marginally more likely to score next. A lay-off to Taylor from distance resulted in a driven effort narrowly over while the same player dribbled inside the opposing left-back before providing a teasing ball across the face which went unconverted.
Nevertheless, Halstead forced extra time with 15 minutes remaining. Replacement Sutton had proved a live-wire since his 32nd-minute introduction to swap with injury victim Hyunjin Lee and his close ball control took him inside from the right before firing home low past Burton. His team could then have gone on to win as Tom Devaux nodded onto the bar and Turner’s turn and shot was helped wide by Burton late-on. From that resulting corner, Craig Emery was the hero for Witham when he headed off the line and preserved parity to see the game move on a stage.
Extra time proved to be full of action. In the first half the visitors were unlucky when two reasonable penalty appeals were turned down while Witham went close courtesy of a Tony Walkin effort which was blocked on the line while full-back Andrew Letsche cut in from the left and rifled just too high from long range.
After the quick interval turnaround there was a goal each within two minutes of one another. Firstly, on 112 minutes, Witham brought the ball towards goal along the goal line from the left and Love thought his tapped finish into an empty net had tipped the balance. However, Norley had other ideas and executed a sensational volley into the far corner from the edge of the box.
The diminutive figure of Jimmy Pirie could have stolen a 119th-minute clincher had his header to round-off a brilliant move not cleared the crossbar. Though that missed opportunity was to prove irrelevant when Halstead held their nerve in the shootout and converted all four of their spot-kicks with the presence of Wooten between the sticks sufficient to knock the Essex Senior Leaguers out of the tournament.
Witham Town: Anthony Burton, Craig Emery, Andrew Letsche, Chris Tucker, Nathan Sharp (Laurence Mansfield, 78), Bradley Stopher, Sam Taylor, Stefan Falla, Thomas Robinson (Niki Love, 73), John Watson, Anthony Walkin. Unused Substitutes: Ryan Hubble, Ries Farley-Hearn.
Halstead Town: Ed Wooten, Terry Rayner, Andy Joslin, Tom Austin, Tom Devaux, Adam Gillespie, Hyunjin Lee (Ryan Sutton, 32), Lee Townrow, Ray Turner, Tom English (Jimmy Pirie, 50), Tom Webb (Liam Norley, 90+2). Unused Substitutes: Danny Clements, Chris Bryan.
Bookings: Witham: Sharp (63, foul), Tucker (81, foul). Halstead: Townrow (63, dissent), Gillespie (87, foul).
Referee: Andrew Langsdon.
Assistant Referees: Keith Barron and Roger Barnard.
Man-of-the-Match: Sam Taylor (Witham Town): Involved in many of the home side’s attacks as well as crafting many of his own from scratch. A threat with the ball at his feet and nearly got on the score sheet on several occasions.