Hungerford Town 2-2 Greenwich Borough (aet) - Last-gasp Smith keeps Wembley dream alive

HUNGERFORD TOWN 2-2 GREENWICH BOROUGH (AFTER EXTRA TIME)
FA Carlsberg Vase Fifth Round
Saturday 9^th February 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Bulpit Lane

GREENWICH BOROUGH manager Phil Miles hailed his heroic side for keeping their Wembley dream alive, courtesy of two goals from Cray Wanderers target, attacking midfielder Peter Smith.

Smith, who was only passed fit for this FA Carlsberg Vase LAST SIXTEEN clash at fourth placed Hellenic League side Hungerford Town on the coach journey to the Wiltshire/Berkshire border, playing with a niggling ankle injury, headed home a last-gasp equaliser to take the game into extra time.

Winger Chris Hubbard, who stunned the Kent League side by moving to British Gas Business Premier League basement boys Cheshunt last week, contacted the Borough management team on Thursday night as he knew he wasn’t selected for the Hertfordshire side’s home game against Bedford Town today.

Substitute Hubbard, who caught the eye throughout Greenwich Borough’s 2-1 home win over Harefield United in the last round, sent over a pin-point cross from the right for Smith to send a bullet header into the top left-hand corner from eight-yards out.

That goal was timed at 49:12 - there was only going to be three minutes of time added on by fourth official Mr Chris Evans (Ealing), who gingerly brought on the four substitutes during the 90 minutes. The final whistle blew just 72 seconds after Smith’s seventeenth goal of the season.

Hungerford Town, a big and strong side, had earlier opened the scoring after 17 minutes through Charlie Austin’s ninth goal of the season.

But Smith levelled for the ninth placed Kent League side, kicking down the slope, with a drilled free-kick just four minutes and 21 seconds into the second half.

And when Graham Edney scored from an angled right-footed screamer from 25-yards with 12 minutes remaining, things looked bleak and the sole Kent side left in the competition were heading towards elimination.

But this side doesn’t know when it’s beaten, and after seeing off Harefield United with a last-gasp winner just three weeks ago, we should have known better!

Home fans were already making their way towards their bar, situated behind the very goal that Smith had rocketed the ball off his forehead, and looked on in shock as Borough, got their just rewards - they were by far the better side on the day.

Due to the shortage of strikers at Harrow Meadow, Borough’s leading goalscorer, Badar Mohammed, who had scored THAT goal against Harefield United, worked tirelessly on his own up front throughout the game.

But it was Smith who had the first chance of this game - played in sunny conditions - after just 183 seconds.

Smith capitalised on a mistake from Chris Copp and got in behind the Hungerford defence but he scuffed his right-footed shot, which enabled goalkeeper Dominic Green to block with his legs.

Hungerford’s skipper Paul Bedwell linked up with Edney but his right-footed shot was comfortably saved by visiting goalkeeper Michael Holder.

Tricky Borough left-winger, Ben Yiadom, whipped in a cross from the left, but Mohammed sent a looping header over the top of the right-post from 12-yards.

But it was Hungerford who broke the deadlock, against the run of play, with 16 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock.

Poor defending from Lewis Ambrose and Winfred Gnaly enabled the hosts to attack down the left-hand side and a cross from Jamie Gosling was met by a powerful header from Austin, which flew into the top left-hand corner from just four yards, leaving stocky Holder rooted to the spot.

Just before the half-way point in the half, another chance came the visitors way when Yiadom beat the full-back to reach the by-line and cut the ball back to Mohammed.

But the unmarked Yemon born lone striker rolled a left-footed shot well past the post from 20-yards.

Hungerford’s leading scorer Ian Concannon should have grabbed his 32^nd goal of the season after 26 minutes.

The striker was left unmarked inside the Borough penalty area and sent a powerful header from eight-yards over the crossbar, following Ben Fitch’s cross from the right.

Holder was called into action on the half-hour mark, stretching to palm away Gosling’s whipped in free-kick.

Gosling had won the set-piece himself, having been fouled by Ambrose in the left-channel. Referee Eammon Smith had allowed the Berkshire side to continue playing, despite Frenchman Winfred Gnaly left pole-axed inside the centre circle.

Gnaly became the second Borough player to receive a yellow card, and whilst referee Mr Smith was handing out the card, Toby Clark, wearing the number 16 shirt, arrowed a right-footed free-kick over Holder from 35-yards and into the net - before the whistle to take the kick blew.

Kicking down the slope in the second half, Greenwich Borough didn’t take long to deservedly draw level.

Hungerford defender Adam Mayo committed a foul on Yiadom just outside the penalty area and Smith drilled a right-footed free-kick from 23-yards around the wall and into the bottom right-hand corner - leaving Green rooted to the spot.

And Borough came within inches of taking the lead - just 143 seconds after their equaliser.

Yiadom’s corner was flicked on by central defender Dave Waters and Mohammed’s hooked half-volley crashed agonisingly off the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the wrong side of the goal-line.

And Hungerford were also unlucky when Concannon’s half-volley crashed off Holder’s crossbar soon after.

Then it was a case of keeping things tight. Chris Copp’s long throw was met by a looping header from Austin, which was plucked out of the air by Holder and at the other end Smith looped a header just over the top of the post following Hubbard’s out-swinging corner.

But Edney’s goal was worthy of winning any game of the football.

The left-sided midfielder picked the ball up following a cut-back, looked up, and unleashed a stunning right-footed angled screamer, which left Holder rooted to the spot, as the ball rocketed across him and into the top far corner.

Borough finally threw bodies forward in search of the equaliser, with Waters and Smith joining isolated Mohammed, who had worked tireless throughout.

And when Smith dragged his shot agonisingly past the foot of the far-post with an angled drive, that was to be the end of Borough’s Wembley dream.

But Smith had other ideas when his last-gasp bullet header sent the Borough deservedly into extra time.

You could tell that Hungerford were on their knees as they had victory taken away from them in the most dramatic of fashion.

There were many tired legs during that extra 30 minutes - but a lot of Boro' brave hearts.

Smith had an excellent chance to net his hat-trick inside the first period, but his right-footed free-kick from twenty-yards banged against the roof of the stand.

But Holder kept them in the competition in the 112^th minute when he brilliantly tipped Fitch’s header over his crossbar as the hosts applied late pressure.

Speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, former Slade Green boss Miles, was full of praise for his players.

“The whole lot of them (were heroes) without a shadow of a doubt - to a man,” he said.

“I think we resigned ourselves to be fair in the 96^th minute that we were probably going to go out after a good Cup run and then all off a sudden we’ve got a great ball in and up popped Peter Smith and we get an equaliser.”

Reflecting on the game, Miles said: “I felt we started the game really well first twenty minutes and we made a little mistake, we didn’t clear our lines, they scored a goal.

“We lost our shape but got back into it but second half was more about us.

“Extra time they put us under pressure and probably with a couple of minutes to go Michael Holder’s pulled off a good save.”

He added: “It’s a fantastic day, you can’t ask for much more and come Monday we’re still in the draw.”

Miles revealed that Cray Wanderers manager Ian Jenkins is taking an interest in two-goal hero Smith.

He said: “The one thing we have got, we’ve got match winners. We have got three or four people that can actually win a match for you.

“Peter Smith’s just one of them.” Miles added: “I was speaking to Ian Jenkins last week and he was saying people have been saying “go and have a look at Peter Smith.” I said “you can’t have a look at him now,” and he went on “No! I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Peter just wants to play football and that doesn’t matter if we play Saturday’s, Sunday’s, Monday, Tuesday, whatever. If somebody said go and play football he’ll go out and play.

“He took a knock against Stansfeld at the beginning of January and he’s not really fully recovered and he’s played a couple of games on it and he’s got a couple of knocks on it but he’s a work-horse - a Trojan.

“He’s one of 17-18 heroes we’ve had today. Next week it could be somebody else, hopefully.”

Both sides are in league action on Tuesday night, after today’s gruelling tussle, Milton United visit Bulpit Lane - a ground that can stage a higher level of football - whilst Miles expects to make changes for their Kent League derby match at Thamesmead Town.

The replay at Greenwich Borough’s Harrow Meadow ground at Eltham Green Road, Eltham, takes place next Saturday (3pm)

This team, full of character and life, deserves to be watched by more than the 106 that watched their 2-1 win over Harefield United in the last round.

I’m sure everybody in Kent will be clambering for Wembley tickets for the final on Sunday, 11^th May - come down to the humble Harrow Meadow to see one of your sides in action BEFORE the showpiece at Wembley Stadium.

And Miles said: “I’m not sure they’ll enjoy coming to our place. Our place is not the best of places to be fair but we’ll give it a go, we’ll see how we go.

“At the end of the day it’s a fantastic achievement for the players and the football club. The football club has never been this far.

“You start getting further and further in competitions and people look at you as managers, coaches and players and they think “they must be doing something right.”

“Monday I can sit there before I go to work and have a look at the computer or watch Sky Sports and see who we could get in the next round, hopefully, could get in the next round.”

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be at Harrow Meadow backing the Boro’ - lets make it another great occasion for Kent football.

Hungerford Town: Dominic Green, Chris Copp, Adam Mayo (Luke Brewer 54), Toby Clark, Nick McCrae, Paul Bedwell, Graham Edney, Charlie Austin, Jamie Gosling, Ian Concannon (Steve Davies 83), Ben Fitch.
Subs: Mark McMeeking, Mark Jones, Richard Guy.

Goals: Charlie Austin 17, Graham Edney 78

Booked: Charlie Austin 88

Greenwich Borough: Michael Holder, Jon Samuels, Harry Vitalieo, Wilfred Gnaly, Dave Waters, Danny Moore, Lewis Ambrose (Chris Hubbard 60), Hussan Budek (Joseph Ogoo 90), Badar Mohammed, Peter Smith (Ibrahim Kallom 120).
Subs: Michael Barker, Lee Haywood.

Goals: Peter Smith 50, 90

Booked: Lewis Ambrose 30, Wilfred Gnaly 34

Attendance: 371
Referee: Mr Eammon Smith (Woking, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Ian Kitchen (Addlestone, Surrey) & Mr Vince Penfold (Addlestone, Surrey)
Fourth Official: Mr Chris Evans (Ealing, London)