Tuesday October 27th 2009 RED INSURE LEAGUE CUP 1ST ROUND
BURNHAM 2 LEIGHTON TOWN 4 after extra time
Manager Jarvis used this cup-tie to give his squad players an opportunity to play a full game, making no fewer than six changes from Saturday’s starting line up. One of the changes Ollie Godwin opened up the Town defence early on; releasing Dean Papali who saw his shot well saved by Town keeper Kevin Higby. Ex Windsor and Eton player Ben Porter was presented with a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead shortly afterwards, when he was given the ball by a weak clearance from Blues keeper Chay Morris, but scuffed his shot as he was tackled by Tom Williment. A dipping free kick from Stuart Swift just cleared the crossbar, after Jordan Dowdican had been fouled on the edge of the penalty area. Debutant Luke Dexter was being well tested by the tricky Aston Goss, who picked out Porter again in a useful position; his shot however was well wide. Burnham was doing well down both flanks at this stage with both Ben Hudell and Dexter putting in telling crosses which the Burnham strikers were unable to convert. Town’s and the Midland Division’s leading scoring Dennie Fennemore opening up the Burnham defence to present the unmarked Charlie Cunningham with a sight of the goal, however his effort was well wide of the mark. Fennemore once more escaped his marker and this time had to be stopped by an excellent save from Morris, who spotted the danger and came off his line to block. Papali was on the end of a good Burnham build up and his shot from an angle on the left was only just wide of the far post. Burnham went ahead on 68 minutes, Terry O’Connor threaded the ball through to STUART SWIFT who was in space some 12 yards out and he hit a ferocious shot that keeper Higby got a hand to but could not prevent the score. It took The Reds just three minutes to pull the scores level, Burnham stopped as they expected referee to award a freekick for a foul and allowed DENNIS FENNEMORE to run free and plant the ball wide of Morris. Burnham regained the lead on 75 minutes; a neat move down the left saw DEAN PAPALI cutting in to make the scoreline 2-1. Six minutes later and it was all square again, DENNIS FENNEMORE outstripped the Blues back four to finish exquisitely. Burnham had appeared to run out of ideas and Dan Walker almost won it for the visitors in ordinary time, forcing Morris to make a superb stop at the expense of a corner. From the corner Morris failed to hold the ball and had to rely on his defence to help him clear his lines. So to extra time and The Reds took the lead for the first time on 102 minutes. A free kick had been awarded just outside Burnham’s penalty area and CRAIG KENCH managed to get his shot around the wall however although the ball was not hit with great power Morris managed to let it slip through his hands. The game was put out of Burnham’s reach on 112 minutes, a long ball was missed by the advancing Morris which left DAN WALKER the simplest of opportunities to walk the ball into the unguarded net. |
