County Cups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FansFocus.Com SENIOR CUP
 
 

ETON MANOR   2 - 1   ROMFORD        
 
Two goals inside the first ten minutes of an explosive opening period helped guide Eton Manor into the Third Round of the FansFocus.Com Essex Senior Cup.

Romford, whose First Round reprieve handed them a trip to the St. Chad's Field, temporary home of Manor, hit back almost immediately but consistently found Manor goalkeeper Chamberlain Fankem and defender Steve Willis on top of their game to deny them an equaliser.

Just ninety-seven seconds had passed when the hosts took the lead. Bradley Nelson, returning after an injury lay-off, slid a perfectly-weighted through ball into the path of Anton Stephenson, who timed his run to spring the offside trap and send a low finish past Neil Finn in the Romford goal.

Stephenson could have quickly doubled the lead, but his slashing shot from a square Kunle Adeyoe pass was beaten away by the over-worked 'Boro stopper. Adeyoe himself then made it 2-0 with the match still in only its tenth minute, again the recipient of a fine Nelson pass.

The visitors' response was quick as Kevin Clark scored the goal of the game and perhaps the equal of any other strike in this year's competition. Clint Foord swept a cross in from the right flank and Clark teed the ball up before swivelling and hooking it over his left shoulder into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Foord again provided the assist after a lengthy stoppage for an injury to George Alder, Des Gallen meeting his centre with a glancing header that dropped just the wrong side of the left upright.

The first period ended with Romford's Ben Turner and Stephenson going into referee Kirk English's notebook after a midfield scuffle as the tie almost boiled over, though after the break the action returned to the goalmouth, where Fankem made a spectacular save to keep out another Gallen header.

Midway through the second half, Manor twice had the chance to re-establish a two-goal cushion, but first Adeyoe toed Stephenson's cross straight at Finn after an unhelpful bounce, and then the prolific Stephenson turned the ball into the goal, only to see the Assistant Referee's flag raised for offside.

Fankem and Finn were again called into action fifteen minutes from the end in the space of sixty seconds, the former turning Danny Rafis' shot around the post before the latter was forced to back-pedal and tip substitute Deji Ojuroye's speculative effort over the crossbar.

Rafis, stabbing wide, and Turner, who hit a dipping attempt just inches over the crossbar, almost forced extra time, whilst Man of the Match Willis was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the last minute when Gallen poked the ball past him and fell to the floor under pressure.

Eton Manor: Chamberlain Fankem, Courtney McLean, Jason Fox, Steve Willis, Lee Smith, Jamie Wallace, Bradley Nelson (Tony Leary, 61), Liam Mulcare (Junior Konadu 53), Anton Stephenson, Kunle Adeyoe (Deji Ojuroye, 72), Justin Cummins.

Romford: Neil Finn, Ricky Mackin, George Alder, Ben Turner, Andy Oxby, Clint Foord (Chris Barry, 72), Scott Walsh, Danny Rafis, Kevin Clark (Kevin Neville, 81), Des Gallen, Bradley Jones (George Tubey, 63). Unused substitute: Wayne Martin.

Bookings: Eton Manor: Stephenson (45, unsporting behaviour), Romford: Turner (45, unsporting behaviour).

Referee: Kirk English (Romford).

Assistant Referees: Martin Quinn (Romford) and Mark Rule (Epping).

Attendance: circa 35.

Man of the Match: Steve Willis (Eton Manor) - The tall central defender constantly snuffed-out any hope of Romford forcing an equaliser, whilst also possessing a classy demeanour on the ball.