12 September 2020

FA Cup Preliminary Round

 

Erith and Belvedere          1          Patterson pen 86

Alfold                                     1          Mutongerwa 80

Erith & Belvedere win 4-3 on penalties

DERES CAN COUNT ON SUBS FROM THE SPOT

 

Shootout penalties from two substitutes, and four penalty saves by Rilwan Anibaba, sent Erith and Belvedere through to the first qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in nine seasons, on a dramatic afternoon at Park View Road.

 

For the second consecutive round Del Oldfield’s Deres faced opposition in their first ever FA Cup campaign.  Alfold were promoted to Step 5 in the last completed season and have begun the Southern Combination season well, so travelled from the Surrey/Sussex border with confidence.

 

Alfold had the first chance in the third minute when Kelvin Lucas was given space to shoot but hit it tamely at Deres keeper Rilwan Anibaba.  A minute later Guyliano Mpungi, making his 50th start for Deres, could have scored as impressive a goal as he did against Chatham the previous week, but his drive from just outside the box was superbly tipped onto the bar by James Stallen.

 

Alfold maybe edged the first half although Deres had the better chances, the visitors’ efforts on goal generally lacking conviction.  Anibaba saved half-hit shots from Johden de Meyer and Sam Lemon, while Henry Dasofunjo for Deres found space but shot straight at Stallen.  Jordan Mase, who hit a hat-trick in Alfold’s remarkable 9-1 beating of Shoreham in the previous round, was a clear danger, and his shot in a well-worked free kick routine with Conor Wilford on 28 minutes was held by Anibaba just under the bar.

 

Another good chance fell Deres’ way on 37 minutes when Mpungi sprang the offside trap and sped down the wing, only to hit the side netting with Steve Springett calling for the ball in the middle.  Mase headed wide from another Wilford free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

 

Dasofunjo had a couple of decent chances early in the second half, notably on 65 minutes when a high ball landed like a cricket ball missed by three fielders, in between Dasofunjo, Stallen and defender Kieron Joseph.  Dasofunjo emerged with the ball and was clear, but took too long over a shot and Joseph managed to tackle back.

 

It was looking like one goal would decide it, and it nearly came in the 78th minute when Lemon ran clear but scuffed his shot wide.  Two minutes later, however, an innocuous throw-in from the left was helped on by Devon Fender and bundled in by Ash Mutongerwa to give the visitors the lead.

 

It had the feeling of a clincher, and indeed Lemon hit the bar soon afterwards, but in the third minute of stoppage time added on for an injury to Anibaba, Deres sub Tyler Anderson was pushed in the box by Aquib Salim.  Skipper Marlon Patterson sent the penalty high to the right, where Stallen got a touch but couldn’t stop the equaliser.

 

Soon afterwards the final whistle went and, as is the rule for the Cup at this stage of this season, it went straight to penalties, as follows:

 

1          Devon Fender          hit post           Lauric Diakiesse      saved             0-0

2          Sam Lemon              saved             Rob Curtis                 saved             0-0

3          Conor Wilford           scored            Marlon Patterson      scored            1-1

4          Ash Mutongerwa      saved             Steve Springett         scored            1-2

5          Tiago Andrade         scored            Tyler Anderson        over bar         2-2

6          Jordan Mase             scored            Matt Neary                scored            3-3

7          Johden De Meyer     saved             Drew Allassani         saved             3-3

8          Kieron Joseph          saved             James Hawkins       scored            3-4

 

There were bizarre scenes after Anibaba saved De Meyer’s penalty, with the Deres players mobbing the keeper in celebration having miscounted and forgotten they still had to convert theirs!  It all came good in the end though, and both sides were loudly cheered off after a bit of an epic, with Deres in the hat for Monday.

 

Deres: Anibaba; Adeyemo, Springett, Patterson, Curtis, Barrett (Neary 68), Dasofunjo (Anderson 84), Allassani, Diakiesse, Nosike, Mpungi (Hawkins 84).  Subs not used: Oldfield, Moore, Gayle.

Alfold: Stallen; Wilford, Salim, Mase, Joseph, Williams (Fender 58), Lucas, Clements (Mutongerwa 58), Andrade, De Meyer, Lemon.