FA Cup 1st Q.R. Replay - Squires Gate 2 Bamber Bridge 3 (AET)
Tue 16th September 2014 | FA Challenge Cup | By Ian Templeman
A goal five minutes from the end of extra time from Bamber Bridge's Matt Mahoney ended Squires Gate's hopes of progress in the FA Cup in their First Qualifying Round replay.
Brett Ferguson gave Gate a lead they held until five minutes into the second half when Paul Alexander equalised from the penalty spot, and although a wonder goal from Jack Sowerby put Gate ahead briefly, Chris Marlow brought Brig back on level terms straight from the kick off.
With no further scoring the game moved into extra time, and with the prospect of penalties looming, Mahoney struck to clinch victory for the visitors.
Gate went ahead with their first clear cut chance of the game on 15 minutes, when a long ball over the top caught out the Bamber Bridge defence, and Brett Ferguson beat the advancing keeper Lee Dovey in a chase for the ball to roll it past him into the unguarded net.
Bamber Bridge hit back and created several good chances in the latter stages of the first half without seriously troubling Ben Fletcher in the Squires Gate goal, but they finally drew level five minutes after the break when Alistair Waddecar went down under a challenge in the penalty area, and Paul Alexander made no mistake from the resultant spot kick.
The game really sparked into life at the midway point of the half with two goals in the space of a minute.
First, a terrific solo effort from Jack Sowerby put Gate 2-1 ahead, the striker dancing through the Brig defence before firing an unstoppable shot past Dovey from 10 yards.
But the home jubilation was short lived as the visitors equalised straight from the kick off. Matt Mahoney raced down the right wing and fired a great cross into the box on to the head of the unmarked Chris Marlow, who had the simple task of heading home from close range.
The visitors dominated the closing 15 minutes of normal time, but Gate nearly grabbed a dramatic winner three minutes from time, when Alex Murphy fired just wide after a Jack Sowerby shot was blocked.
Play in extra time lacked the tempo and intensity of the first 90 minutes, but with the prospect of penalties looming, Brig grabbed the winner with five minutes left.
Matt Mahoney picked up the ball on the right hand side of the penalty area, and as the Gate defenders closed in he fired in a shot that took a wicked deflection and crept into the corner of the net just inside the far post.
It was heartbreaking end to a game in which Squires Gate battled to the final whistle, but their Evo-Stik League opponents held on and progressed through to a tie away at Workington in the next round.
FA Cup 1st Q.R. Replay - Squires Gate 2 Bamber Bridge 3 (AET)
Tue 16th September 2014 | FA Challenge Cup
By Ian Templeman
A goal five minutes from the end of extra time from Bamber Bridge's Matt Mahoney ended Squires Gate's hopes of progress in the FA Cup in their First Qualifying Round replay.
Brett Ferguson gave Gate a lead they held until five minutes into the second half when Paul Alexander equalised from the penalty spot, and although a wonder goal from Jack Sowerby put Gate ahead briefly, Chris Marlow brought Brig back on level terms straight from the kick off.
With no further scoring the game moved into extra time, and with the prospect of penalties looming, Mahoney struck to clinch victory for the visitors.
Gate went ahead with their first clear cut chance of the game on 15 minutes, when a long ball over the top caught out the Bamber Bridge defence, and Brett Ferguson beat the advancing keeper Lee Dovey in a chase for the ball to roll it past him into the unguarded net.
Bamber Bridge hit back and created several good chances in the latter stages of the first half without seriously troubling Ben Fletcher in the Squires Gate goal, but they finally drew level five minutes after the break when Alistair Waddecar went down under a challenge in the penalty area, and Paul Alexander made no mistake from the resultant spot kick.
The game really sparked into life at the midway point of the half with two goals in the space of a minute.
First, a terrific solo effort from Jack Sowerby put Gate 2-1 ahead, the striker dancing through the Brig defence before firing an unstoppable shot past Dovey from 10 yards.
But the home jubilation was short lived as the visitors equalised straight from the kick off. Matt Mahoney raced down the right wing and fired a great cross into the box on to the head of the unmarked Chris Marlow, who had the simple task of heading home from close range.
The visitors dominated the closing 15 minutes of normal time, but Gate nearly grabbed a dramatic winner three minutes from time, when Alex Murphy fired just wide after a Jack Sowerby shot was blocked.
Play in extra time lacked the tempo and intensity of the first 90 minutes, but with the prospect of penalties looming, Brig grabbed the winner with five minutes left.
Matt Mahoney picked up the ball on the right hand side of the penalty area, and as the Gate defenders closed in he fired in a shot that took a wicked deflection and crept into the corner of the net just inside the far post.
It was heartbreaking end to a game in which Squires Gate battled to the final whistle, but their Evo-Stik League opponents held on and progressed through to a tie away at Workington in the next round.
