Rover & Out

My usual match reports run to approximately 700 words. Following yesterday’s dour exit to Isthmian League North side Stanway Rovers in the FA Trophy, I will be struggling to get to half of that, but here goes.

This was the final game of George Moore’s suspension, and his return will be welcomed to inject some much-needed firepower up front, as The Reds struggled to break down a well-organised Rovers side. With Bernie Tanner injured, Kyle Bailey came in at the back alongside CJ Fearn, and new signing Omar Rowe made his first start as one of the front three. The match was being played in dry, but very windy conditions over in Colchester, and with an undulating pitch to cope with, any perceived gap in quality between the Step 3 and Step 4 sides was evened out.

Set pieces were proving particularly tricky, with any high balls getting caught in the wind. This was a point proved on 13 minutes when a corner from the right found Frank Keita in the box. The keeper was struggling, but the ball’s flight wasn't easy to track, and the ball ended up being cleared away from goal by the Uxbridge forward. Keeping the ball on the deck was only marginally more effective, but The Reds did have a gilt-edged chance on 20 minutes when Keita played in Nams Nwachuku, who cut in from the left but dragged his shot just past the far post. Rovers created a good chance just after the half-hour mark, but a low shot was well blocked by Cole Brown, with the shot looking destined to be on target. There was not much more to report, although the home side did test Laurie Shala before half-time when a cross had to be tipped over the bar, as again the wind made tracking the ball very tricky.

HT 0-0

The second half was more of the same, although Stanway were convinced they had scored on 58 minutes as a goalmouth scramble from a corner saw claims that the ball had crossed the line waved away. A header just over from Harrison Chatting soon after was probably the home side's best chance. For Uxbridge, there was a shot just over the bar from Brown on the hour, plus substitute Jo Lawal had a low cross cleared away by the legs of home keeper Joshua Blunkell. However, the best chance of all fell to Keita in stoppage time, who did well to turn his man on the edge of the box to give a clear sight of goal; however, he could only fire the ball high over the bar, to leave the match to be decided on penalties.

The first three kicks in the shootout were all scored by both teams, with Nams, Keita, and Massimo Giamattei netting for the Reds. Stanway scored their fourth, which then saw Kai Hobbs's kick saved by the legs of Blunkell, leaving George Okoye to step up and send the home side through to the next round.

A match and a performance to forget, and hopefully Uxbridge can get things back on track with the visit of Basingstoke next Saturday.

FT 0-0

Pens 3-5

Att 88

Uxbridge: Shala, Brown, Bocarro (Hobbs), Fearn, Bailey (Osu), Nnadozie (Thorpe), Rowe (Giamattei), Rush, Nwachuku, Keita, Prior Tack (Lawal)