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Luckett's levels cracking cup clash

CONFIDENCE is high in the Bromley camp that they can win Wednesday's replay at Hayes Lane to progress into the fourth and final qualifying round of the FA Cup after a thrilling 2-2 draw at Nationwide South strugglers Sutton United at Gander Green Lane on Saturday.

Sutton, without a win on home turf all season, found themselves 2-0 up inside the first 25 minutes, were denied a third after a fine save from Bromley goalkeeper Andy Walker before they hit the self destruct button on the stroke of half time.

Canvey Island reject Tony Quinton headed Gary Drewett's corner into the back of his own net and Bromley deservedly drew level five minutes after the interval through Colin Luckett's 25-yard curling free kick.

The Ryman League Division One visitors - fourth in the table - had five good chances to go on and win the game - squandering them all.

Sutton, however, took the lead after only 173 seconds.  Attacking right-sided midfielder Matt Gray was fouled by visiting left-back Sam Okafor. Peter Fear whipped in a lovely free kick, which was so good it couldn't be cleared by the visiting defence or dealt with by Walker, and John Scarborough, who played a handful of games for Dover Athletic earlier in the campaign, powerfully headed home from 8-yards.

It could have got better for the Surrey side, third from bottom in the Nationwide South table, when Craig Watkins' latched onto a flick from strike partner Joff Vansittart, but with only the goalkeeper to beat, the former Wingate & Finchley stopper blocked the 16-yard shot with his legs.

However, Walker was picking the ball out of the back of his net for the second time in the 25th minute.

Gray's cross from the right, found substitute Andy Martin, and the striker, who replaced Vansittart who turned his ankle, two minutes earlier, had enough time at the far post to rifle a shot high into the back of the net from eight yards making an instant impact.

Stuart McIntyre's men, however, could have been out of the competition three minutes later but their 23-year-old goalkeeper came to their rescue.

Watkins' left giant central defender Danny Arkwright behind him, raced into the penalty area, and with only Walker to beat, he tried to slot the ball inside the bottom left hand corner, but Walker stood tall until the final moment and blocked the shot.

Bromley, roared on by passionate supporters throughout the game, even at 2-0 down, saw their side go close on the half-an-hour-mark through Luckett who drove a shot from 22-yards wide of the left post.

Prolific striker Leroy Huggins' run had Sutton's defenders back-tracking but he was forced into shooting from 30-yards and the ball skidded wide.

Bromley, however, were given a gift on the stroke of half time, which changed the course of the game from former Croydon Athletic midfielder Quinton heading into his own net from Drewett's corner kick.

Put under pressure from two Bromley players, Quinton not looking towards his own goal, knew nothing about the header that sent the Bromley fans wild.  The ball whacked him on the side of his head, and looped into the back of his own net, via the right post, from 12 yards, which obviously changed McIntyre's inspiring half time team talk.

Sutton were stunned into silence in the 50th minute from a free kick which even David Beckham would have been proud of.

The kick, 25-yards from goal, was won by former Sutton striker Mark Watson, who was brought to the ground by Scott Corbett, who delayed Bromley's special moment as he injured himself in the challenge.

Luckett, a former Kingstonian hero, when the K's won the FA Trophy in 1999 and 2000, was obviously thinking what he was going to do with the kick during the minute or so delay, before striking the ball perfectly, left-footed, bending it around the wall and finding the top right hand corner of the net.

Bromley's fans were almost celebrating the winner when substitute Solomon Taiwo latched onto a pass and with Wilson to beat he rolled the ball towards goal but Sutton were able to half clear.  Taiwo, however, on the right hand side of the six-yard box, took Wilson out of the action, centred for Huggins and with glory staring him in the face, blazed over an open goal from sixteen yards.

The visitors took the game by the scruff of the neck and their arch rivals were hanging on as Luckett clipped the ball to Taiwo on the left who centred for Watson whose lob went narrowly over from a 19-yard effort.

Sutton scorer, Martin, however, went from hero to zero in the 64th minute when he was sent off by referee Salt for allegedly stamping on South African Bromley full-back Steve Potterill whilst he was on the ground.

Quinton, however, could have grabbed the ten-men the  victory when he met Fear's fiercely struck free kick, but his header went agonisingly inches wide of the middle of the far post.

But Bromley were cursing their luck when they were guilty of missing three gilt edged one-on-one chances in the final twelve minutes to send the Nationwide South side crashing out of the cup.

Solomon Taiwo's pass found Okafor and he tried to take the ball around Wilson but the Sutton stopper recovered well and prevented the former Hampton & Richmond Borough defender scoring the winner.

With only two minutes of this thriller remaining, the ball rolled kindly into seventeen-year-old substitute Chris Hill's path, and the product of the youth policy at Hayes Lane, had time to take the ball into the penalty area, but he rushed his shot on the edge of the penalty area and the chance went begging and well wide.

Inside stoppage time, former Sutton midfielder Drewett, had a case for a penalty, as did the home side earlier in the game, but the long-haired winger stumbled at the crucial moment, after being played in by Taiwo.

Sutton announced the attendance that watched this thriller was 495.  However, their was at least 700 fans that crammed under the covers at Gander Green Lane and Bromley will be looking for the same numbers in the replay at Hayes Lane on Wednesday.

Bromley assistant manager Grant Watts said: "It was a great result.  We started off badly conceeding a couple of early goals and the guys really dug in deep and we managed to pull it back to two all and we missed a few chances at the end to really wrap it up.

"We played very well today, not in the first 25 minutes though.  I think we were all over the shop and we chopped and changed it around, back to a 4-4-2 formation and the guys suited that and it worked well.

"They scored an own goal just before half time and it changed the course of the game."

Free kick hero, Luckett, added: "It was a brilliant result.  Obviously going 2-0 down as early as we did wasn't pleasing but we got one back before half time and the belief in the changing room was we could go on and get something, which we did.

"We were disappointed not to come away with the win in the end.  Before the match if someone said we would have drawn the match, we would have been happy.

"We had three one-on-ones and we could have won it, but it wasn't to be and we will be up for the replay on Wednesday.

"We know what Sutton are about now, we are quite confident, they are a good team but we need to worry about ourselves not them.

"We are confident that we are going to win on Wednesday, fingers crossed we will.

"My goal was very special because it brought the game back to two-all.  I wasn't striking the ball all game as well as I'd hoped - I was thankful it went in."


Sutton United: Phil Wilson, Matt Gray, Eddie Akuamoah, Nigel Brake (Evren Arkali 83), Tony Quinton, Scott Corbett (Capt), Peter Fear, John Scarborough, Craig Watkins, Joff Vansittart (Andy Martin 23, sent off 63), Lewis Gonsalves. Subs: Paul Honey, Stuart Booth

Bromley: Andy Walker, Steve Potterill, Sam Okafor (Chris Hill 80), Matt Kember (Solomon Taiwo 56), Colin Luckett, Danny Arkwright, Gary Drewett, Gavin Rose, Leroy Huggins (Adolph Amoako 70), Mark Watson (Capt), Scott Bennetts.  Subs: Tutu Henriques, Paul Kember

Referee: C Salt
Assistants: Chris Pearce & Shaun Scott

Attendance: 495