Visitors score at the death to earn replay
Ascot United twice hit the woodwork, squandered several chances and were made to pay as plucky Pagham scored in the seventh minute of injury time to earn a one-all draw on Sunday. In one of the day’s four Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round ties, Harley Platel’s brilliant solo goal looked to have finally broken the Sussex side’s dogged resolve, but defender Owen Sheriff’s late, late header bounced across goal and into the net to spark delirium amongst the travelling faithful.
Yellamen seek to match best-ever FA Cup run
Having only been past this qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup once before, victory would match that achievement having been knocked out by Lewes at the 2nd qualifying round stage a few seasons earlier.
Pagham were, however, on a nine-match unbeaten run and would surely provide a test of Ascot’s strength; the Southern Combination outfit being the third step-five side to visit The Racecourse in the competition this season and striker Lewis Rustell’s form had seen him bag eight goals in six appearances.
August player-of-the-month Isaac Brown missed out for Ascot in a similar looking side to that which lost against Windsor and Eton on Bank Holiday Monday; Sam Sesay a welcome inclusion in the starting eleven and hot-shot Lui Edwards back from injury and on the bench, albeit unused.
Ascot dominate but frustrated by woodwork
The home side were in the ascendancy from the start and it was only three minutes before the woodwork denied them an opener when Kareem Akinnibi’s effort from Platel’s assist clipped the top of the crossbar.
Akinnibi then totally missed connecting with an attempted header in the six yard box – Kai Allsopp the provider – before seeing another shot on the turn fizz over as the chances fell to him.
Visiting defender Mike Gilchrist did superbly well to fend of Akinnibi who almost turned himself into a shooting position (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk), but Platel would come the closest in the 29th minute with a trademark effort – making space for a curling right-footed shot from the edge of the area – which beat visiting ‘keeper Connor Kelly but crashed back off the crossbar.
Pagham rarely threatened and only a defensive error gave then a sight of goal – Howard Neighbour gobbling up a badly judged cross-field pass – but Ben Parkinson bravely flung his body in front of the striker’s thunderous effort ten minutes before the break.
Nil-nil at half time, and the visitors would certainly be the happier as the two sides changed ends.
Injuries haunt Ascot has half deteriorates into ugly spectacle
Ascot’s cause wasn’t helped by injuries to Elijah Anthony and Akinnibi inside the opening six minutes of the half, but they should still have been out of sight before the late madness.
A marginal offside flag denied Allsopp after he had found the bottom right from Deru’s pass in between those injuries, although had Neighbour shown more composure than slash wide from distance at the other end, it might have been a different story.
Substitute Chukz Uzor looked lively and his first contribution was to tee up Platel – who dinked the ball over the bar first-time – before the referee waved away genuine penalty appeals when Uzor raced onto a through ball only to go down under ‘keeper Kelly’s challenge.
Neighbour hooked a difficult effort wide on the half-volley as Pagham showed increasing intent, and as the time ticked away, it looked increasingly precarious for Ascot.
That was until Platel took on everyone in front of him, slaloming and weaving through a succession of challenges left-of goal before thumping an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net with eighteen minutes remaining to give Ascot a 1-0 lead.
The Lions now needed to change their game plan – and they did – as substitute Harry Giles blasted a difficult effort over in the 88th minute, Rudi Pache hacked fellow substitute Kieran Jones’s cross out of the six yard box a minute later, and a third replacement – Siph Mdlalose shot wide seconds after that.
Ascot were unable to retain possession and created unnecessary pressure for themselves – pressure that should have been relieved had Platel not scooped substitute Kai Zini’s cross over in the 92nd minute and Uzor and TJ Mboge made more of a two-on-one position in the 95th minute. Uzor elected to cross when he might have been greedier, Mboge was smothered by Kelly, and the chance was gone.
And, the seemingly inevitable leveller came in the seventh of eight added minutes when Ascot failed to deal with Kelly’s free kick – one last Hail Mary – and Sheriff nodded the ball into the bottom left.
The two sides will do it all again midweek on the Sussex coast by which time they will know the prize for the winning, with the draw for the next round being made on Monday.
Tuesday’s league cup tie with South Park will now be, er, parked…
Ascot United: Swyer, Anthony (Bullard-Jeffrey 48’), Rohart-Brown (Zini 73’), Parkinson, Pache, Allsopp (Richardson 61’), Deru (Mboge 61’), Sesay, Akinnibi (Uzor 53’), Long, Platel. Subs unused: Walters, Edwards
Venue: The Racecourse, Ascot
Attendance: TBC (estimate: 275)
Weather: 27c, sunny
Ascot United MOM: Harley Platel
Entertainment: 3
Away fans estimate: 25
One-word summary: Wasteful