Match Report: Ada'll Do it
- tricky291
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
A common theme running through Uxbridge matches this season seems to be lots of goals, some controversy and lots of last minute drama - and so it proved once again as The Reds secured an astonishing 4-3 victory at Honeycroft against high flying Gloucester City. A couple of enforced changes saw Kai Hobbs & Liam Prior Tack starting in place of the injured duo of Cole Brown & George Moore, as Uxbridge looked to maintain their unbeaten home league run.
The match started with a very early yellow card for Jo Lawal for a challenge on Ed Williams in the centre circle from kick off - surely one of our earliest ever bookings. But it was Gloucester who started the match brightly, their new signing Kane Simpson had an early sighter that went over the bar, before they did take an early lead when King Baidoo broke free down the left hand side before putting the ball across to the back post where Simpson was on hand to slide home the opener. Uxbridge though are made of stern stuff these days, and started to keep the ball and enjoy plenty of possession, this was rewarded on 22 minutes when some neat interplay between Frank Keita and Nnams Nwachucku, saw the latter tripped in the box to give the hosts a penalty - they had plenty of practice in the win over Enfield on Tuesday evening, and Keita duly obliged by confidently stroking the ball past Jared Thompson in the visitors goal to level things up. Both teams looked to get ahead, and Pinchard had gone close for Gloucester with a curling shot over the bar, before Lawal did superbly for The Reds to get into the box on the right, and his low curling shot looked destined for the far corner, but for a fine save at full stretch from Thompson, with the loose ball just evading the Uxbridge attackers as they closed in. It was then Uxbridge on the front foot, so it was something of a shock when they fell behind again on 36 minutes, as Baidoo won the ball back in midfield and advanced on the Uxbridge goal, his shot took a huge deflection leaving Laurie Shala stranded as the ball sailed into the net. As the match headed towards half time, the game took a dramatic turn. Prior Tack made a fine driving run into the Gloucester box, he fed Nams who was adjudged to have been brought down by defender Ben Richards-Everton, who had already been cautioned moments before, he received a second yellow, and Keita stepped up to take his second penalty of the half. This time however his aim was not as true, and he fired over the bar, leaving Uxbridge with a numerical advantage player-wise, if not on the scoreboard.
HT 1-2
With an extra man Uxbridge saw plenty of the ball early in the second half, Harry Rush going closest on 50 minutes but shooting well over the bar. Gloucester though always looked confident and dangerous on the break, King again being a particular threat and he tested Shala with a fine run and shot that the Uxbridge keeper held at the second attempt. It was the home side who leveled things up though on 63 minutes as Casey Bocarro’s fine low cross was met by Keita, who got ahead of the defender to fire the ball home. Uxbridge looked to have taken charge of the game as they took the lead on the 70th minute mark, Nwachuku did superbly to hold off the surrounding defenders, and poke the ball past the onrushing Thompson finding the net. The momentum appeared to be entirely with the home side, but the ten-man Gloucester refused to concede, finding a way back into the match with an equaliser on 84 minutes as Harry Pinchard turned his marker on the edge of the box, to fire into the bottom corner, via the post - more late goal heartbreak for the Reds it seemed. Uxbridge weren't phased though and went in search of a winner - Liam Prior Tack going close on two occasions, with a shot just wide on 80 minutes, and a free kick going even closer a few minutes later. It was left however to substitute Ada Okorogheye to have the final word - as the fan favourite made his return to Honeycroft. With the clock well into stoppage time he picked up the ball to the right of the box, using his strength he drove forward holding off a number of challenges, he came across the face of goal, firing the ball under Thompson, restoring the lead and knocking the stuffing out of Gloucester. This time the late drama was in the favour of the Red Army who consolidated their fourth place position as they enter a busy November, starting with a trip to Plymouth next Saturday.
FT 4-3
Att: 338
Uxbridge: Shala, Hobbs, Bocarro, Fearn, Stepney, Nnadozie, Lawal (Okorogheye), Rush, Nwachuku, Prior-Tack (Thorpe), Keita (Tanner) Subs Not Used: Giamattei, Bailey
*Credit to Paul Shirley for this week's headline