EVESHAM UNITED 2-3 NEWCASTLE TOWN (AET): MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Profligate Robins Suffer Extra-time Agony As Bott Scrambles A Late, Late Winner For Newcastle…

Evesham United 2-3 Newcastle Town

(FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay)

This match was eminently watchable, for Evesham dominated much of the encounter, created and scorned a great number of scoring opportunities, sometimes courtesy of fine saves by Town’s Raajan Gill, sometimes due to wild finishing, on other occasions as a result of fine Newcastle defending and a couple of times because of the intervention of the goal-frame. The first-half especially produced a glut of chances, often provided by Brad Gray’s set-pieces or spadework but the same player was also denied in his own quest for a deserved goal. A penalty by Matt Liddiard was all the Robins had to show for 45 minutes of offense, whilst their guests created three rare efforts at goal on breaks and naturally scored from the last of them, just prior to the interval.

YOU PUT YOUR RIGHT ARM IN...

More offensive play by United after the break was continually thwarted by ‘Castle, as opportunities came and went, until Town netted a shock goal on the counter-attack in the 65th minute, which strangely led to an immediate Evesham equaliser, scored as simply as previous efforts at goal had proved so difficult to find success with. The game then edged scrappily towards extra-time, at the start of which Town might have scored two quick away goals but as more chances went begging at their own end, Newcastle capitalised upon a fine centre by replacement Jonny Kapend, a header by their diminutive substitute Sam Wilson, a save onto a post by home goalie Sam Gilder and subsequently a scrambling winning goal from the rebound by Bott. Cue joy for Newcastle and utter despair for the disbelieving United players…

URWIN KICKS OFF...

A tentative punch clear by Gill during the opening exchanges was followed by a few corner deliveries by Gray for Evesham, one of which led to a fine Liddiard header which Gill flicked over his crossbar superbly. Liddiard nodded a long James Campbell throw wide too, before the guests managed the relief of an attack. Bott moved inside from the right flank but his drive at goal was deflected for an unproductive corner by home skipper Linden Dovey. Soon though, Luke Askey ploughed into centre-forward Campbell to concede a penalty and Liddiard shot the spot-kick into the right side of the net past the helpless Gill.

AN UNHAPPY GILL...

LIDDIARD JOGS BACK TO THE MIDDLE WITH HIS TEAM 1-0 AHEAD...

The goal must have settled Evesham’s nerves enough to believe a comfortable victory lay ahead but despite so many attacking sorties, a second goal simply would not come. A Gray cross went begging, Matt Williams rose to head a Gray corner too high and after Town midfielder Luke Askey’s soaring header from right-back Sam Bradbury’s cross had been caught spectacularly by Gilder, tricky home winger Lewis Binns fed prolific United striker Adam Mann for a 10 yard shot and only quick Gill reactions kept out the striker’s deflected shot. A Campbell throw saw winger Jordan Bryan set up Gray for a gentle 10 yard lob in a crowded penalty-box but the effort bounced off the top of the cross-beam, before Bryan couldn’t deal with a deep Mann centre from the left. Gill soon dived to keep out a fine 25 yarder by Gray brilliantly and Liddiard side-footed Binn’s pass too gently to the Town goalie.

BRYAN, TRIED HARD ON THE EVESHAM RIGHT...

FINE LEAP BY WILLIAMS...

LOOKS LIKE LUKE ASKEY CAN DO BALLET TOO...

And still Evesham powered forward with Gray’s deflected header from a Binns cross bouncing just wide for a corner, then Mann’s delivery was contested by Williams and led to a falling effort by Campbell which flew too high and when Mann and Campbell combined to set up the elusive Gray for a clipped shot from the left side of the penalty-area, Gill stylishly arched backwards to turn the ball over the target to save his team yet again. Williams headed a Gray corner wide but after Newcastle striker Jordan Cole had shot a 25 yard free-kick straight at Gilder, the visitors suddenly got away on a break again and earned a corner on the right. The busy and effective forward James Lee took the flag-kick, Williams headed it out for United but Bradbury passed to Lee and his near post cross from the right was back-headed downwards into the corner of the Evesham net as Gilder tried desperately to keep the ball out. 

1-1 NOW...

...COURTESY OF A BOTT-HEADER...

Half-time arrived after a Gray cross flew to Gill and players, coaches, spectators and even the kids who weren’t even watching the game, were wondering how there was parity at the interval… OK, Gray, Binns, Bryan, Campbell and Mann were in positive attacking moods but the net had been tough to find on the night for all of those players. The Town defence, with left-back Ricky Bridge having to keep tabs on Bryan constantly, plus Aaron Carter in the centre, alongside skipper James Askey, who were having to contest every ball played in, had all done remarkable jobs thus far but for how long? Apologies to James Askey by the way, for his surname was written as ‘Skey’ on the ‘official’ hand-written team sheet (!) and I mentioned him as ‘Skey’ a couple of times on my video clips… Sorry about that…  

CAMPBELL & HASKAYNE WOULD RATHER LOOK AT THE SKY...

Substitute Sam Wilson had appeared in the Town midfield after half-time and that move seemed to add some bite in the trenches and make life less easy for United’s midfielders. Before Lee curled a shot wide of the right post for the guests, a Gray free-kick had been headed frustratingly wide by Liddiard and another Gray centre had fizzed across the goalmouth but soon the hosts reasserted themselves with Mann heading a Bryan centre over the goal-frame, then hardworking midfielder Archie Haskayne firing a deflected effort goalwards which was well saved by Gill’s outstretched left boot, before a Gray corner was headed downwards by Liddiard but Gill pounced on that quickly. Another Liddiard header drifted across the face of goal from Dovey’s delivery but the visitors suddenly counter-attacked and to the horror of the Evesham contingent of fans, coaches and players, Town took the most unlikely of leads.

WISH I HAD THE SKILL TO PAINT A SKY LIKE THAT...

Lee’s defence-splitting pass saw Wilson slip seemingly unnoticed through the middle, no flag was waved by the relevant linesman and the substitute poked the ball easily past the advancing Gilder.

WILSON SCORES...

A SHOCK GOAL FOR TOWN...

...& IT'S 1-2...

The response from Evesham was strong and oddly, after all the chances they had not taken, when it really mattered, they took the next one. Gray’s right-side free-kick was met simply by the right boot of left-back Bennett, 8 yards out, having got the better of Bott and the ball flew low into the right corner of the net. Just like that…

2-2: GOAL BY BENNETT...

Bott rifled an angled right-flank delivery with the outside of his right boot which might have caused extreme danger had the swerve been a little more acute and then substitutions followed at regular intervals for both teams. One of the United replacements, the tall Greg Peel nodded a Gray cross from the right-wing into goal, only to be flagged offside, before both Luke Askey and Cole received cautions for Newcastle. Try as they did, the hosts could not nick a winner, as replacement Paul Fahy had a shot deflected over the target, Mann drove a shot way too high, then smacked a left-booter over the roof, Williams headed over the crossbar yet again and a right-side centre bounced off Liddiard and gently into the grateful Gill’s arms.

WILLIAMS SHADOWS COLE...

All Town offered before the 90+ minutes were up was a run by Oli Ritchie, now having to cover at left-back, instead of playing a more advanced role and Bott drove the ball against the outside of the base of the left post from an angle, although a flag had been raised on the far touchline anyway. The game over, the chilled air and darkening sky welcomed in the unwelcome extra thirty minutes and in truth, minus forwards Gray and Campbell, the hosts were quickly forced back by Town’s positive opening to overtime. 

OVERTIME BECKONS FOR EVESHAM...

...& NEWCASTLE...

ANOTHER TOSS IT IS, THEN...

Lee’s right-side corner was headed downwards by James Askey and somehow it appeared that Haskayne had stopped the ball on the goal-line as Gilder flailed on the ground. Bott hacked at the rebound but again Haskayne and Gilder kept it out, before Cole also struck a close-range effort from near the right post but yet again Haskayne threw himself at the ball, with Gilder almost attached to him, keeping the ball out again, before finally, Bradbury hacked the loose ball well off target. Whew… Evesham had been lucky for once. And then they got luckier, for Lee slipped a short pass beyond Williams and Cole had the goal at his mercy but incredibly he pulled his 10 yard effort wide of the left upright…

Cole smacked an angled effort across the face of the home goal, before the despairing Haskayne was booked and in the second overtime period Gill touched a looping centre over his crossbar, Williams headed another cross over the target and Bennett leaned back to shoot a great opportunity over the bar after Gill had paddled at a right-wing corner. Time had hurried on, there were two minutes remaining and the guests won possession, the ball was turned away to the left flank and the sprightly Kapend, whose trickery left Fahy beaten and the replacement's left-side centre, right-footed was headed forward by the leaping Wilson, Gilder flung a desperate left glove at the ball and nudged it against the upper reaches of his left upright, whence the ball fell to the ground and Bott seized his opportunity, prodding the loose ball over the goal-line. Gill raced the length of the field to dive upon the pile of blue-shirted bodies in utter delirium and Town were close to a shock victory… 

2-3...

HUGE CELEBRATIONS...

Still Evesham tried though and after a scramble, a corner was awarded on the offensive left but Bennett’s header was glanced well wide of the right stick and moments later, the game was whistled over…

BOTT CONSOLES GILDER...

This had been a fine advert for the FA Cup and Newcastle’s resolution had been immense, absorbing so much pressure and surviving so many efforts on their goal, from the excellent Gray and the lively Mann, yet headers by Liddiard and Williams really ought to have brought better rewards and the trickery of both Binns and Bryan should have been capitalised upon. Fair play to Haskayne for his general effectiveness in midfield and also for his goal-lie heroics and Dovey was always purposeful for his team. 

Gill had a splendid game for the visitors, the defence, despite the missed United chances, was simply stoic and weathered almost every storm. Tom Urwin, Luke Askey and Ritchie never shirked a challenge but credit must surely go to Cole and Lee for their forward efforts, trying to stretch the home defence and take pressure off their beleaguered colleagues. And Bott… Well, a brace for the right-sided attacker and such an important pair of goals on the road. He did well and embraced his good fortune, as Evesham decried their ill luck…

TEAMS:

EVESHAM UNITED:

SAM GILDER, LINDEN DOVEY (CAPT), MATT BENNETT, ARCHIE HASKAYNE, MATT WILLIAMS, MATT LIDDIARD, JORDAN BRYAN, BRAD GRAY, JAMES CAMPBELL, ADAM MANN, LEWIS BINNS.

SUBS:

GREG PEEL, ASH WILLIAMS, LORCAN SHEEHAN, JORDAN LYMN, LEROY ODIERO, PAUL FAHY, NICK STANLEY.

NEWCASTLE TOWN:

RAAJAN GILL, SAM BRADBURY, RICKY BRIDGE, LUKE ASKEY, JAMES ASKEY (CAPT), AARON CARTER, AARON BOTT, TOM URWIN, JORDAN COLE, JAMES LEE, OLI RITCHIE.

SUBS:

SAM WILSON, JONNY KAPEND, ELIJAH GABSI, JAMES GRIFFITHS.