Lewisham v City

[SOCKSY]

Lewisham 1 City 0 (43mins)

[SOCKSY]

1.1 60mins Hossick pen

[SOCKSY]

1.1 and extra time needed.

[SOCKSY]

half time in extra time and still 1.1

[SOCKSY]

penalty shootout

[SOCKSY]

lost 3.2 on pens

[karthoarse]

Well done Socksy for the live updates, all we need now is comments from Mr Stelling and co., Sky Sports here we come!!

Here's the after match report.

City 1 Lewisham 1 aet - City lose 2-3 on penalties

It was a game of ‘should and could’ at the Ladywell Arena, as both teams should and could have won the game in normal play, and City should have won the shoot out having seen Lewisham miss with both their first two spot kicks!

The game started with City fortunate not to go a goal and a man down in the first minute. City keeper Giga Zulmalashvili, rushed out to intercept an attack and found himself beaten by the bounce of the ball and having to stoop to almost knee height and try to head the ball away, unfortunately he got no distance on the touch and it fell to a pursuing Lewisham forward, who under pressure from the keeper, shot wide claiming vociferously that he had been pulled back in the process. It looked like he may have had a case, but the referee, who was right in line and the linesman, who was only yards away were both unmoved.

Much of the early pressure came from Lewisham, with City once more a little slow out of the blocks. Renford Le Teynnue volleyed a Scott Lawford cross over, but Lewisham came closest when Ian Hossick superbly cleared an effort off the line with Giga beaten. A Lewisham attacking free kick was fired straight at the City keeper, and at the other end Nick Minshall shot over from long range. Lewisham were proving to be the better side, tall and strong, quick and powerful up front, attacking through knocking the ball around and creating spaces and also on the break. It was Hossick again who was the last man to break up a home side attack. It wasn’t all Lewisham though, City were inches from taking the lead when a Liam Whiting placed shot across the goal appeared to be going in but just curled away to hit the post, with the keeper well beaten. Minshall had another shot go over, this time from a Michael Seagers long throw, before a ball over the top from Lawford fell for Royston Gough who managed to get a shot off, but wide, just seconds before being clattered by the keeper. Minutes from half time, Lewisham took the lead. A decent break down the left was fed inside and a shot from the edge of the box was blasted past Giga giving him no chance. Half time then and for the third week running City find themselves a goal behind.

Second half and City keeper Giga was soon in the action again, this time a misplaced kick out fell to the Lewisham attack who created a chance, but the keeper did well to save at the forward’s feet and redeem the situation. They should also have done better with their next effort, again a good move from midfield, saw Lewisham play a good one two and pick their way through the City defence but shoot wide when they probably should have scored their second. City pressed on though and a run from Gough found him free on goal in the box, where he was upended by a chasing back defender. A clear penalty, you could argue a red card as well, other defenders were in the vicinity, but probably not close enough to have intervened, but just a yellow was given. Hossick, confidently struck the penalty home for the equaliser.

After that, there were chances at both ends, as both sides looked to finish the game off. City had shouts for another penalty waved away by the referee, and a ball lifted into the area by City was dropped by the keeper at the feet of Whiting, who shot over from close in. City had two further attacking free kicks, one came to nothing and the other from Minshall went over the bar. Tony Jackson, hooked a ball away from the City goal and a Lewisham free kick went tamely wide. Full time 1-1.

First period of extra time was pretty eventless apart from an injury to the Lewisham keeper which held up proceedings for a while. A home shot was easily saved by Giga and Gough had a run and shot wide. Last fifteen saw Le Teynnue do well to clear a Lewisham attack, and Craig Southern head over a free kick from Craig Short. Finally, Lewisham almost grabbed it at the death, some uncertainty in front of the City goal, eventually saw Giga and a defender somehow just about scrambling a goal bound effort out for a corner. Full time 1-1 and on to penalties.

City well in the driving seat as Lewisham missed both their first two kicks, one over the bar and the second just clipping the bar and going over. With Hossick netting City’s first, they had found themselves with a tremendous advantage. Unfortunately, it all went wrong from there as Lewisham scored their remaining three, and Luke Lockhart and Le Teynnue both having their efforts saved by the Lewisham keeper. With Whiting scoring City’s fourth, it came down to Gough, who had to score the last to send it to sudden death. Once more though, the Lewisham keeper pulled off another save to send the home side through and City out.

[SOCKSY]

It was all my fault. I rang GOH and he gave me a commentary on the shootout. Lewisham had missed their first two when l made the call and it all went wrong as soon as l got through to him. Did all three penalty saves go to the same side and height?

[karthoarse]

Blimey mate, if you want detail like that, you'll have to catch it on MOTD!

[SOCKSY]

GOH told me they all went the same side and at a nice height for the keeper. I just wondered if he was right.