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Glenn McTaggart was sensationally sent of f in the third minute of extra-time but Slade Green held on for a goalless draw and take them back to the Small Glen on Tuesday, 1st November, writes Barry Feist.

 

A replay never looked on the cards right up to the final whistle as Mile Oak, a hard tackling and physical side began the game by instantly attacking  the Slade Green goal.

 

Within the first ten minutes they had three chances. Twice Slade Green keeper Arterton had to pluck the ball out of the sky when under pressure. Then, Mark Penny had to come to the rescue as he slid in to clear the ball away after Scott Lewis' half clearance was hammered towards the Green goal following a Mile Oak corner.

 

Slade Green then came into the game and began to play the ball around, but errors in midfield often gifted the ball back to Mile Oak. Lee Morgan and Scott Lewis at the heart of Green's defence were instrumental in clearing the back line. However, Morgan picked up a knock on 13 minutes after going in for a fifty-fifty ball with Oak's Mark Curram and slightly struggled for the remainder of the first half.

 

On 16 minutes a superb opportunity fell to Green. Robert Browning's free-kick was cleared by Mile Oak defender Chris Paine for a throw-in. Malyon's throw was cleared for a corner and from Browning's pin-point cross Glenn McTaggart powered his header towards goal. McTaggart's bullet of a header was superbly saved on the line by Oak keeper Rich Whittington and a glorious chance for Green to take the lead had been denied.

 

McTaggart then picked up his first yellow card of the match when he was booked by referee Andy Connor for dissent on 25 minutes.

 

Mile Oak were finding it easy to win everything in the air, but as they pushed forward looking for a goal they found the back line of Lewis, Penny, Robinson and Morgan much harder to break down.

 

Green came back at Mile Oak and created three more goalscoring opportunities before half time. Twice Tony Weir went close in the space of two minutes. His first effort, a header, from Browning's free-kick was deflected behind for a corner, and then when clear on goal, mis-hit his shot well wide with only Rich Whittington to beat. McTaggart should have done better on the stroke of half time but ended up hitting a soft effort at the Oak keeper.

 

In the second half, Mile Oak again went in search of a goal. In a four minute spell Green keeper Gary Arterton was kept very busy. On 51 minutes he watched as Paine's effort from 20 yards dipped just over the bar and then two minutes later was deemed to have been fouled just before Mile Oak put the ball in the net. Within a minute of the disallowed goal Arterton then performed heroics as he leapt to tip over a thunderous shot from Lee Silsby. And from the resulting corner, produced a fantastic full stretch save to deny Mile Oak again.

 

Tony Gallagher, back from from suspension and fresh from his run-out with the reserves last week, replaced Micky Bradley on 62 minutes and brought about some dominance for Green in midfield.

 

And it was Gallagher six minutes later that nearly gave Green the lead. Weir crossed from wide on the right and forced the Oak defence to clear for a corner. Browning's corner was met by "Weasle" at the far post but his header missed by inches and slammed into the side netting.

 

For the next ten minutes the game became a bit scrappy with neither team producing any effort on goal. Then on 72 minutes,  Browning found himself in a bit of space. Browning strode through the Mile Oak midfield and laid the ball off to Weir but unfortunately for Green, Weir's shot went wide the keeper's near post.

 

With five minutes of normal time left Green again came forward in search of a goal. Malyon crossed deep into the Mile Oak area and McTaggart managed to get his head to the ball. The ball ended up in the net but assistant referee Mark Chapman raised his flag. It was either McTaggart or Weir that had apparently committed a foul in the box and the goal was disallowed.

 

In injury time, Gallagher shot from 25 yards but his sweet effort dipped agonisingly over the bar and the game went into extra-time.

 

In the 93rd minute disaster struck for Green. McTaggart was adjudged to have committed a foul and following his protest referee Connor produced a second yellow card, apparently for kicking the ball away and McTaggart walked from the field of play.

 

Five minutes later Alan Hanlon came on for Ryan Robinson and Green had to shuffle the pack. Weir had another chance to score a few minutes later but again hit a tame shot at the keeper.

 

Lewis' back-header on 103 minutes played Tony Burnett on-side and Gary Arterton had to rush from goal to punt clear picking up a knock from Burnett in the process.

 

Mile Oak the had a spell of corners to put Green under a lot of pressure but again the Slade Green defence held strong.

 

A mix-up in defence between Penny and Gallagher gifted a chance to Mile Oak. The shot flew towards goal and with Arterton left stranded in no-man's-land the ball struck the cross-bar and came back into play.

 

on 111 minutes Mark Penny was fouled and then deliberately kicked in the face by Burnett while laying on the ground. Referee Connor, however, gave Burnett a yellow card.

 

Mile Oak applied pressure as they went in search of that elusive goal. They pinned Green back in their own half for the final ten minutes of extra-time.

 

Finally, in the 3rd minute of injury time Browning's left foot shot was tipped round the post by Rich Whittington.