Penalty heartache for the Crusaders in the FA Trophy 3rd round at Aveley

Ironically it was Conor McDonagh Hungerford’s regular penalty taker that was the unlucky man ultimately seeing his penalty well saved by Aveley keeper Jon North to give Odelushi the chance to win the shootout which he took with then next kick. It was a shootout full of misses from both sides with 9 misses out of 24

Hungerford had a threadbare squad especially in defence missing Berry-Hargreaves & Wright and Tyler still recovering from injury albeit on the bench, this saw a new central defensive partnership of Medford-Smith & Jarra, Sambu was also an absentee picking up an injury in training. There was a welcome return however for Ryan Clarke in goal.

The game being played with a strong wind on a plastic pitch was not the most aesthetically pleasing on the eye but the visitors who have had their vexations on plastic pitches started well. Elis Watts looking dangerous early on and getting a couple of chances, one where he shot wide and one being well blocked by the Aveley defence. Indeed Hungerford were forcing corner after corner aided buy the strong wind in their favour but also causing their own turbulence to the Aveley defence

In the 25th minute Sam De St Croix swung in his very own “decent cross” which was headed home by Babs Jarra to give the more than deserved lead for the Crusaders. Jarra just as dominant in the attacking box as he was in the defensive with his partner Medford-Smith adjusting to central defence extremely well limiting the home side to very few if any chances of note

Just before the break Watts had a chance where he probably should have made it two but the Welsh wizard usually so lethal especially in cup games saw his shot parry away be North, Slavi Spasov cutting a frustrated figure looking for the square ball in the centre

Aveley equalised in the first five minutes of the second half. After a stoppage in play a ball into Hungerford’s box resulted in a goal mouth scramble that Aveley’s Joe Gbobe was ultimately the winner of to force the ball home, there was a hint of handball but the referee was having none of Hungerford’s protests

Aveley tried to up the tempo but Hungerford still managed to keep them at arms length and looked dangerous on the break, Spasov proving a willing runner to keep the Aveley defence worried and forcing long balls which with the wind and the zip of the plastic would have been a hard watch for a football purist. The best chance for the home side coming on 75 minutes when Vaz forced Ryan Clarke into a splendid double save the first low to his left and then quick reactions to block the rebound. In the dying embers of the game it was still Hungerford who looked like they might edge it, Watts perhaps rushing a difficult chance late on and one perhaps he would have been more comfortable controlling on a grass surface.

So to the penalties and they flowed like the game, Hungerford with an early advantage, Aveley dragging them back, and with everyone’s nerves in tatters it was Odelushi scoring the winning penalty the 24th of the shootout

Team: Clarke (c), Stanley, Paget, Medford-Smith, Jarra, Hooper (Alexander), De St Croix, Shepherd, Watts, Spasov (Evans), Lopes (McDonagh)
Subs Not used : Harvey, Softley, Liggett, Tyler
Star Man - Jarra

Photo Credit @Lambpix1