Walthamstow FC were forced to show their resolve to overcome Thurlow Nunn South side Newbury Forest after they produced a stunning comeback to force a penalty shootout in the Preliminary Round of the Essex Senior Cup on Tuesday night.
Stow were the dominant side throughout the match and looked on course to ease to a 2-0 win through goals from Jason Hallett and winger Samir Bihmoutin but Newbury scored twice in the final 3 mins of regular time to take the game to a penalty shootout.
Stow goalkeeper Jack Moore was the hero in the shootout, saving two penalties on his senior debut for the first team.
End To End Start
It was a fast start to the game, with both sides fashioning early chances. Former Ilford striker Yemi Adelani, who scored 10 goals in 16 appearances for the Foxes last season, almost opened the scoring after just two minutes when he was played into the left channel and bore down on goal, but his near-post effort smacked the bottom of the woodwork and bounced clear.
Three minutes later Newbury had two big chances to score of their own. Stow’s midfield was pulled apart as they tried to adjust their pressing to Newbury’s passing play, which allowed Tyrell Holder to be played in, whose initial strike was saved before testing Stow ‘keeper Jack Moore’s reactions by pouncing on the rebound, but Stow survived on this occasion.
Newbury were showing flashes of the threat they carry up front, with pacey, tricky forwards testing the Stow backline on the counter.
After Adelani flashed another shot wide at one end, Newbury’s number nine Jesse Osaro – playing predominantly on the right hand side of a three pronged attack – showed his ability and skill to cut in on his right but his shot was straight at Moore and this time the Stow defence denied any possible rebound.
Stow’s pressing and fitness started to show as the half wore on, and four minutes after Adelani – who was unlucky not to score – had a goal ruled out for offside, Stow took the lead.
Good work down the wing from the Stow left side saw the ball cut back for top-scorer Hallett, who took a touch before calmly rolling the ball back the way it came and into the opposite corner.
Fast Restart
Newbury tired towards the end of the first-half, so it wasn’t a surprise that they looked to get a fast start on their opponents when the second-half restarted.
Jesse Osaro threatened again, firing a ball across the box which was neither on target nor able to find a teammate at the back post before troubling the Stow defence with his direct running again but central defender Keegan Cole recovered well to stop Osaro in his tracks.
Unfortunately for Newbury, Stow made things more comfortable ten minutes into the second half. Samir Bihmoutin received the ball on the left flank and showed good footwork and fleet-footedness to fashion himself a chance at goal, which he confidently dispatched into the bottom left-hand corner to double Stow’s advantage.
There was then a touch of controversy as Connor Scully – who replaced Bihmoutin around the hour mark – swung in a free-kick which was flicked on by the dangerous Adelani, and it looked like the ball had crossed the line but the referee and linesman did not see it that way. Adelani was booked for dissent, with the referee taking offence to his vehemence.
Stow Stunned
The game fell into a quiet period after that, with a succession of injuries causing a lull, but Newbury stunned it back into life in the final minutes.
With 87 minutes gone, a hectic scramble on the edge of the Stow box fell kindly to a Forest player who lashed it home to put the pressure on Stow.
That pressure paid off immediately with Stow like a heavyweight boxer on the ropes. Forest found more space in midfield and the front line combined well to set up a one-on-one finish almost straight from the restart.
Moore’s Saves See Stow Through
Walthamstow had to dust themselves down and regain their composure for the shoot-out.
Jack Moore’s save from Mustafa Kahie’s opening penalty was the perfect antidote to the dramatic final five minutes prior and set Walthamstow on their way to victory.
Substitute Scully put his penalty away before Adelani finally found the net with a confidently dispatched effort, and after a trading of successful penalties between the two sides, Jason Hallett scored Stow’s fourth to put the pressure on Newbury’s final penalty.
Jack Moore read the taker’s intentions again and dived the right away to bat away, affirming a heroic performance from the reserve keeper making his full senior debut.
Walthamstow will play fellow Essex Senior League side Little Oakley in the first round of the Essex Senior Cup, which will take place on or before the 6th November.
