Reds Legg it to the Final

Uxbridge 2

Daniel Fosu (55')

Joshua Addae (73')

Kingstonian 2

Stan Flaherty (17')

Eddie Simon (90+10')

AET - Uxbridge win 5-4 on penalties

It’s never that easy being an Uxbridge fan, just when you think things are going smoothly, along comes that bump in the road and you have to pick yourselves up and go again. This once again proved to be the case during an eventful play off semi-final against Kingstonian on Wednesday evening.

There was a bumper crowd of 670 inside a sun drenched Honeycroft, as Uxbridge welcomed back a number of players who had been given a break for Saturday’s trip to Westfield. Back in December, it had taken a late George Moore winner to see off the visitors from Southwest London, and they would prove just as tough a nut to crack this time.

Uxbridge started the game with a good tempo moving the ball around nicely, and fashioned the first chance on 6 minutes as Ada Okorogheye broke free but fired his shot straight at Liam Allen in the K’s goal. K’s though were looking dangerous on the break, and the dangerous Stan Flaherty forced a flying save from George Legg at full stretch which kept the scores level on quarter hour. This would prove to be a taster though, as barely two minutes later a free kick was awarded on the edge of the Uxbridge box, and Flaherty stepped up to curl a delicious shot away from Legg, and into the far corner of the net to give the visitors the lead. The Reds didn’t let their heads drop though, and as the half wore on, they began to fashion chances of their own. Josh Addae’s long throws were proving to be useful weapon, especially on the half hour when James Taylor got onto the end of one in the K’s box, but although he appeared to be held down by the Kingstonian defender, the referee waved away the vociferous protests. Shortly after Addae was involved with some good interplay with George Moore, but the talismanic forward could only find the side netting with this low shot from a tight angle. More chances came for the home side, in particularly a goal mouth scramble, which only some desperate last ditch defending kept out Okorogheye and Dan Fosu’s shots. Just before the break, Okorogheye did superbly to outmuscle the defence and get into the box, despite then seemingly held back by the defender, and dragged to the floor – the referee once again saw things differently and nothing was awarded – giving the Red Army a real sense of injustice as half time came.

HT 0-1

It was Kingstonian who started the second half in determined fashion, and they should have doubled their lead within a couple of minutes of the restart, but the usually reliable Eddie Simon was unable to find the target from a couple of yards out after a fine low cross from the right-hand side. Flaherty again went close soon after, but he couldn’t keep his shot down. Uxbridge heeded the warning and stepped up a gear to try and get back in the game. Firstly on 54 minutes an ingenious reverse pass into the box by Moore, released Okorogheye, but Allen was out quickly to smother the shot. A minute later though The Reds were level, Dan Fosu, beat a defender and held his nerve to slot the ball home with Allen stranded, the ball hitting one post and going into the other side of the net, it was just what Uxbridge needed and was game on. Neither side overcommitted for the next twenty minutes – once K’s shot just wide soon after was the sum of the efforts. That changed on 73 minutes though, as great work on the left-hand wing from Massimo Giamattei who put in a superb cross, which took Allen out of the game as he scrambled across goal, Okorogheye was unable to control the ball, but it fell perfectly to Addae rushing in behind him to smash the ball home to give Uxbridge the lead. Chances then came and went for the home side, as they looked to finish things off – Okorogheye going close on 83 minutes as he chipped Allen, who just got back to tip the ball over the bar. With time also up, Moore picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled superb shot which cannoned against the bar and went away to safety. There were further half chances, but with time running out and the injuries and substitutions taking place could Uxbridge hang on through the generous eleven minutes of stoppage time the referee had allowed for? The answer was no – and with ten minutes of additional time played, a low cross was turned in from Eddie Simon for his obligatory goal against us, to break Uxbridge hearts and send the match into Extra Time.

FT 2-2

The first period of extra time was relatively low key, Moore shooting just over the bar and K’s hitting the side netting from a tight angle the only action of any note. Two minutes into the second period though K’s broke clear and only another full length save by Legg kept the scores level. Uxbridge were finding joy from set pieces though, and on 108 minutes James Taylor rose highest from a corner, only to send he header narrowly wide. He went even close four minutes later, as another corner was headed against the bar – the second time of the evening The Reds had found the woodwork. There was time for Moore to again prove a thorn in the K’s side, with two late shots both over the bar, however it wasn’t to be, and the match went to penalties.

AET 2-2

Flaherty had put K’s one up in the shootout, cancelled out by Dernell Wynter when up stepped Harry Mills, birthday boy George Legg guessed right to save low to his left to give Uxbridge the advantage. Taylor then scored, as did Casey Bocarro and Harry Gallagher – all matched by the Kingstonian takers – leaving the final kick for Kai Hobbs, he stepped up and sent the ball down the centre of the goal with Allen diving to his left to give the Reds the win. Cue jubilant celebrations on and off the pitch but tempered by the fact it is not job done yet – one more match to come at Honeycroft against Hanworth Villa on Sunday 4th May.

Come On Your Reds.

Uxbridge win 5-4 on Penalties.

Att: 670

Thanks to Laura O’Sullivan to presenting Ada Okorogheye with the man of the match award last night! Sponsored by EandA Designs