Competition

Date

Saturday 12th September 2009

Early cup KO for Supermarine

By Ned Payne » Swindon Advertiser

Unlucky Supermarine were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first round qualifying stage despite a gutsy effort at Brackley Town. The home side edged a 1-0 win courtesy of an Elliott Sandy strike soon after the break.

 

In an uneventful first half, Supermarine’s best opportunity was spurned by Ash Edenborough, while Brackley felt aggrieved at having an effort disallowed after the referee had blown for a foul.

 

The Saints got the all-important goal just after the interval when Supermarine failed to clear and Sandy fired home from close range.

 

Mark Collier’s troops rallied and substitute Mark Barnes cracked a strike against the upright, before Alan Griffin nodded over and Danny Allen brought a good save from Richard Morris. Supermarine threw on new signing Seamus Kelleher (pictured) with eight minutes left and forced a succession of corners towards the end of the match.

 

Goalkeeper Matt Bulman even came forward to try and grab an equaliser, but the hosts held on. “It was a disconsolate dressing room because we played well,” admitted Marine chief Collier. “We absolutely deserved something. It was our best performance of the season, we outplayed them for long periods in the second half. “By their chairman’s admission and their manager’s admission we were by far the better side. “We had a little lapse in concentration when they scored, but for the next 40 minutes we battered their goal. “We were camped in their half and created four or five good chances, it just wasn’t to be.”

 

From a Brackley Town perspective

Brackley Town 1 - 0 Swindon Supermarine

After a first half of numbing mediocrity both sides emerged blinking into the sunshine for a second half chance to seize the game and progress into the second qualifying round of the FA Cup. Brackley could feel aggrieved over the first half’s key moment on 16 minutes when Coalville referee Andrew Barney chose to call back play to award a Saints free kick and to yellow card to Marine captain Matt Robinson as Ben Mackey finished sweetly.

 

Before that, combative midfielder Ollie Burgess had already limped from the field of play with a leg injury to be replaced by Ross Oulton. Burgess was starting just his second game of the season following injury and player-manager Jon Brady will be keen to see Burgess and fellow midfielder Jamie Kearns both fit again and available for selection. For his part young Oulton impressed with a determined and confident display before giving way to the experience of Brady late in the game.

 

The disallowed goal aside, rarely can 45 minutes of cup tie football have limped so meekly to its goal-less conclusion with not a whimper as on this scorching September afternoon in front of a meagre 180 spectators. An incident on 40 minutes illustrated the soporific offering as an injury to Swindon centre forward Alan Griffin requiring lengthy treatment provided a welcome drinks break for thirsty players. As the clock ticked on and minutes passed the referee sought to re-start play but it seemed the entire set of 22 players were reluctant to resume as the tropical sun beat down and a cool dressing room beckoned.

 

A dramatic resumption to the match after the break brought Saints the breakthrough as, in the very first minute, the ball bobbled around the visitors’ goalmouth providing two half chances before Sandy gleefully snapped up a third opportunity to slot home into an empty net to give Brackley the lead and to chalk up his third goal of the campaign.

 

As at Didcot last week however the goal failed to lift Town and it was the Wiltshire side, without an away goal so far this season, who threatened to restore parity. It was the introduction of rangey, ex-Hitchin striker Mark Barnes from the bench on the hour that signalled a shift in momentum to the game as his pace and ability to beat his man posed an immediate threat to the home defence down the right flank.

 

On 69 minutes Barnes’ snapshot rattled the post and a minute later Griffin headed over before a short corner caught out the Brackley defenders, left back Daniel Allen bringing a fine save from Richard Morris who continued to build a reputation as a safe pair of hands and an excellent shot stopper.

 

As the final whistle neared a fine last ditch clearance from right back Callum Burgess and determined defending kept out a succession of corners and repelled mounting pressure from a determined Supermarine side who threw goalkeeper Bulman forward in desperate search of the equaliser.

 

Yellow cards for Saints’ Gould, Oulton, Brady and Mackey and Marine’s captain Robinson reflected a tough, tight cup tie that Brackley will be pleased to have navigated safely. Man of the Match Richard Morris kept a third successive clean sheet inspiring confidence in his defenders with another authoritative display making important saves and dominating his patch. While “goals for” remain hard earned this Saints side is built upon a defence earning one of the meanest “goals against” records in the league and Brady will be pleased that solid foundations are in place upon which to build.