Wokingham & Bracknell 4-5 CPR All Stars
Underestimation. To underestimate another team can be considered a crime in Cup football. Anything can happen. An upset can easily occur.
That's what so nearly happened when Premier division table toppers, Curley Park Rangers, travelled to Wokingham & Bracknell, a team who sat mid table in the division below.
On paper it could be considered an easy game. CPR had trounced all in their path both in the league and cup, and the CPR camp was particularly confident today.
But that confidence could easily also be described as arrogance. CPR expected an easy game, it should've been if they had played to the best of their ability, but they could never have imagined the events that unfolded.
The team lined up as follows:
GK: Kevany LB: Barby CB:Hastings Lloyd-Bisley ST
Subs: Goggin, Morris, Honeywood, Rice (late)
Marsh (unknown) Adolphous (Hamstring) and McMillan (knee) were the absentees for the game. Rice turned up 10 minutes after kick off.
Whereas CPR started off well in games at the start of the season, they have fallen into the bad habit of starting the game off slowly and poorly.
After an awful 20 minutes, whereby Wokingham & Bracknell looked dangerous from set pieces, CPR managed to break the deadlock.
Parslow managed to unleash a shot in the box, which took a fortunate deflection off an opposing defender, and the ball looped up and over the keeper.
But CPR were not ahead for long, and it was a set piece that finally paid off for the home side. A ball was whipped in, ad was met by the head of a Wokingham player, and he des patched with relative ease.
But CPR motored on, and despite playing the worst they had done all
season, managed to re-establish their lead. Dunnage played a ball over the top for Stroud to run onto, and he sprinted 30-40 yards before rifling in at the near post.
And CPR went 3-1 up 5 minutes later, thanks to a mistake from the Wokingham keeper. After Stroud put the ball in the box, the ball was not adequately cleared and on hand to apply the finish was Lloyd-Bisley, with the keeper unable to keep his effort out.
But even if CPR were not playing anywhere near to the level that they could, it only went downhill from there.
Rolt was penalised for stumbling and accidentally handling in the box, and Wokingham were awarded a penalty.
But Kevany, who did his best to put the penalty taker off, dived well to his right to keep out the spot kick. CPR had got away with it, but they weren't going to get away with what followed roughly 5 minutes later.
Red card. You could argue that he was provoked, but when you lash out in the manner thatHastings
A mistake from Kevany allowed Wokingham to capitalise, and they were able to pull one back and reduce the deficit to one.
There was still one moment of controversy to fill an action-packed first half, and this time it went CPR's way.
A corner was met by the head of the Wokingham centre back, who had caused trouble from set pieces all game, and he headed in to score what seemed like a perfectly legitimate goal.
But the linesman judged the ball to have gone out, and the goal was ruled out. CPR had survived, and they limped over the half time break with a slender 3-2 advantage.
Even though they weren't playing their best, the effort and spirit shown in the second half was tremendous. Buoyed on by a motivated and energetic CPR crowd, CPR dug deep throughout the second 45 minutes to ensure they progressed to the semi finals.
Remarkably they took a 4-2 lead. Despite being under heavy pressure, another ball over the top was met by the galloping Stroud, who knocked the ball over the keeper and into the net to restore their 2 goal advantage, and score his 20th goal of the season in the process.
And even more remarkably, CPR managed to nick another goal, completely against the run of play.
A throw in led to confusion in the box, and when the ball bounced off Stroud, on hand to convert once again was Lloyd-Bisley, who bagged his second of the game, again after dubious keeping from the Wokingham keeper.
But that was about the last real attack that CPR had, and they were fighting for their lives for the remaining half an hour. They managed to hold on until 15 minutes remaining, with Wokingham cutting the deficit back down to 2.
A corner was once again not cleared by the CPR defence, and the ginger Wokingham centre back, who was causing problems in the air time and time again, pulled the ball back for the striker to nod home.
At 5-3 the tie was on a knife-edge. With Wokingham knocking at the door, Kevany managed to pull off an incredible match saving save to deny the Wokingham attacker, reacting brilliantly to knock a deflected strike wide.
But the lead was soon 5-4, with roughly 8 minutes remaining. A ball over the top was latched onto by the Wokingham attacker, and he lashed into the goal at Kevany’s near post.
But CPR were not deflated. They kept fighting. They kept repelling wave after wave of Wokingham attack. But they cracked. In the dying minutes.
Lloyd-Bisley chopped down the Wokingham attacker cynically in the box, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
What had been a crazy game boiled down to this moment. The home sides centre midfielder vs Charles Kevany from 12 yards.
The outcome? Another miss. Inexplicably put wide. Kevany had done it, he had successfully managed to deny Wokingham from the penalty spot. Not once, but twice. Incredible.
CPR showed great resilience throughout the second half, with Kevany, Morris and the whole CPR team doing their bit to keep Wokingham out.
And they scraped through. The final whistle was met with great relief by the CPR players, who had booked their place in the semi finals.
The contrast was plain to see at the final whistle. CPR jovial, Wokingham distraught. Although you could argue the better side didn't win, CPR held on by the skin of their teeth, and narrowly avoided the biggest upset in this years League Cup.
Man of the match went to Kevany, who pulled off an exquisite save as well as keeping out 2 spot kicks.
That's what so nearly happened when Premier division table toppers, Curley Park Rangers, travelled to Wokingham & Bracknell, a team who sat mid table in the division below.
On paper it could be considered an easy game. CPR had trounced all in their path both in the league and cup, and the CPR camp was particularly confident today.
But that confidence could easily also be described as arrogance. CPR expected an easy game, it should've been if they had played to the best of their ability, but they could never have imagined the events that unfolded.
The team lined up as follows:
GK: Kevany LB: Barby CB:
Subs: Goggin, Morris, Honeywood, Rice (late)
Marsh (unknown) Adolphous (Hamstring) and McMillan (knee) were the absentees for the game. Rice turned up 10 minutes after kick off.
Whereas CPR started off well in games at the start of the season, they have fallen into the bad habit of starting the game off slowly and poorly.
After an awful 20 minutes, whereby Wokingham & Bracknell looked dangerous from set pieces, CPR managed to break the deadlock.
Parslow managed to unleash a shot in the box, which took a fortunate deflection off an opposing defender, and the ball looped up and over the keeper.
But CPR were not ahead for long, and it was a set piece that finally paid off for the home side. A ball was whipped in, ad was met by the head of a Wokingham player, and he des patched with relative ease.
But CPR motored on, and despite playing the worst they had done all
season, managed to re-establish their lead. Dunnage played a ball over the top for Stroud to run onto, and he sprinted 30-40 yards before rifling in at the near post.
And CPR went 3-1 up 5 minutes later, thanks to a mistake from the Wokingham keeper. After Stroud put the ball in the box, the ball was not adequately cleared and on hand to apply the finish was Lloyd-Bisley, with the keeper unable to keep his effort out.
But even if CPR were not playing anywhere near to the level that they could, it only went downhill from there.
Rolt was penalised for stumbling and accidentally handling in the box, and Wokingham were awarded a penalty.
But Kevany, who did his best to put the penalty taker off, dived well to his right to keep out the spot kick. CPR had got away with it, but they weren't going to get away with what followed roughly 5 minutes later.
Red card. You could argue that he was provoked, but when you lash out in the manner that
A mistake from Kevany allowed Wokingham to capitalise, and they were able to pull one back and reduce the deficit to one.
There was still one moment of controversy to fill an action-packed first half, and this time it went CPR's way.
A corner was met by the head of the Wokingham centre back, who had caused trouble from set pieces all game, and he headed in to score what seemed like a perfectly legitimate goal.
But the linesman judged the ball to have gone out, and the goal was ruled out. CPR had survived, and they limped over the half time break with a slender 3-2 advantage.
Even though they weren't playing their best, the effort and spirit shown in the second half was tremendous. Buoyed on by a motivated and energetic CPR crowd, CPR dug deep throughout the second 45 minutes to ensure they progressed to the semi finals.
Remarkably they took a 4-2 lead. Despite being under heavy pressure, another ball over the top was met by the galloping Stroud, who knocked the ball over the keeper and into the net to restore their 2 goal advantage, and score his 20th goal of the season in the process.
And even more remarkably, CPR managed to nick another goal, completely against the run of play.
A throw in led to confusion in the box, and when the ball bounced off Stroud, on hand to convert once again was Lloyd-Bisley, who bagged his second of the game, again after dubious keeping from the Wokingham keeper.
But that was about the last real attack that CPR had, and they were fighting for their lives for the remaining half an hour. They managed to hold on until 15 minutes remaining, with Wokingham cutting the deficit back down to 2.
A corner was once again not cleared by the CPR defence, and the ginger Wokingham centre back, who was causing problems in the air time and time again, pulled the ball back for the striker to nod home.
At 5-3 the tie was on a knife-edge. With Wokingham knocking at the door, Kevany managed to pull off an incredible match saving save to deny the Wokingham attacker, reacting brilliantly to knock a deflected strike wide.
But the lead was soon 5-4, with roughly 8 minutes remaining. A ball over the top was latched onto by the Wokingham attacker, and he lashed into the goal at Kevany’s near post.
But CPR were not deflated. They kept fighting. They kept repelling wave after wave of Wokingham attack. But they cracked. In the dying minutes.
Lloyd-Bisley chopped down the Wokingham attacker cynically in the box, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
What had been a crazy game boiled down to this moment. The home sides centre midfielder vs Charles Kevany from 12 yards.
The outcome? Another miss. Inexplicably put wide. Kevany had done it, he had successfully managed to deny Wokingham from the penalty spot. Not once, but twice. Incredible.
CPR showed great resilience throughout the second half, with Kevany, Morris and the whole CPR team doing their bit to keep Wokingham out.
And they scraped through. The final whistle was met with great relief by the CPR players, who had booked their place in the semi finals.
The contrast was plain to see at the final whistle. CPR jovial, Wokingham distraught. Although you could argue the better side didn't win, CPR held on by the skin of their teeth, and narrowly avoided the biggest upset in this years League Cup.
Man of the match went to Kevany, who pulled off an exquisite save as well as keeping out 2 spot kicks.
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