Express & Star

FA Cup Qualifying: Brocton 2 Deeping Rangers 4

It was nervous start from both teams as they got to know each other with a good tempo played, but not real control on the match from either side, a common theme for the rest of the game.

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An attempt from Berks after good work from Dean opened the attack for the home side, but the shot from berks tamely saved.

The visitors started well with Coupland, and with a low centre of gravity, gave Wood and Robinson plenty to think about early on. On 11 minutes, the Badgers went behind to a wonderful rising drive from Coulson from outside the box, a full 25 yards from goal that found the top corner, Jenkins with no chance.

Within a few minutes, Wood could have equalised with a header from a corner, but his shot just faded to the left of the Deeping goal.

With Brocton struggling to settle, Deeping piled on the pressure, but the Badgers were also looking dangerous on the break with Berks in particular looking at options in his own indomitable style. On 18, Berks broke the offside trap to set up a wonderful volley chance, but the keeper was equal to it, however Berks would have expected better.

Brocton probed, and Leon Taylor broke through the backline but ran into a Deeping defender. Penalty claims rightly waved away from the clean defensive challenge. The Badgers continued to push at the Deeping backline with Edwards streaming forward seemingly at will, but good last minute defensive work from Deeping always stopped the keeper from working harder.

The home side continued to press with a cross from Berks met by a looping Lomas header, but Taylor couldn’t keep his goalward header down and the chance was missed. Lomas then had a chance not two minutes later as again Berks was the orchestrator but the keeper was equal to the shot.

With the Badgers in the ascendancy but not testing the keeper, the home side took heart at half time with the opportunities created even though they entered the break 1-0 down.

Early within the second half, Taylor found himself lucky to stay on the pitch with a lunge at the keeper, but it was a challenge from Wood in Brocton box, which allowed Deeping to take a 2-0 lead.

Having lost the ball to Coupland, Wood wrestled with the Deeping forward into the box and eventually pushed the forward to the ground. The ref did not hesitate in pointing to the spot and Coupland coolly converted to Jenkins left.

The Badgers mountain increased in size two minutes later as Schiavi ran through the home backline and struck a low shot to Jenkins right to give the visitors a commanding 3-0 lead, or so it seemed at the time.

The home side thought they had scored a reply on 63 as Edwards snuck a shot in the bottom corner only for the officials to rule offside for Berks chasing up the ball. With a quick double substitution, it wasn’t long before both subs combined and to almost allow McMahon to score from a Hartshorne pass.

However, again in a three minute spell, two goals changed the course of the match. It was the unlikely source of Jamie Evans which saw the Badgers get back into the game, with a long drive from outside the box to the keepers left.

Obviously not content with one full back getting involved, Matt Dean on the other flank, charged forward and into the box.

With Deeping not wanting to commit the foul, they let him run and his cross found McMahon who poached again to finish from close range. Now at 3-2, Brocton looked for the equaliser and kept pouring forward sniffing Deeping were getting nervous at the back.

Hartshorne had a glorious header on the penalty spot but the keeper positioning was spot on and made a comfortable save.

However, it was Kilbride for the visitors who eventually broke Brocton hearts with a very late goal. Breaking on the right hand side, the midfielder dipped into the middle from just inside the box and Jenkins couldn’t stretch far enough to save it.

The 4-2 scoreline belies just how equal the match was between these sides, but it is Deeping Rangers who progress into the hat for the 2nd qualifying round and Brocton will have to look at the FA Vase next weekend at Tividale for cup glory.

Team; Jenkins, Dean, Evans, Juxon, Wood, Robinson, Edwards, Lomas, Taylor, Berks, Curtis.

Subs Used: Hartshorne, McMahon, Martin.

Attendance:123