|
|
 |
| |
Town triumph in epic thriller
FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round
Hillingdon Boro 2,
Kentish Town 3
PLAYERS from Kentish Town Football Club are on the road to Wembley after netting their first win in the FA Cup on Saturday.
In a match that captured the very essence of the magic of the cup, the Townies came from a goal down to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory over Hillingdon Borough at the Middlesex Stadium.
The result means the triumphant team will now travel to Buckinghamshire for another tough away day against Burnham FC, with the winners moving to within four games of the first round proper.
Kentish Town overcame an early psychological blow when their positive start was undone by Hillingdon captain Matt Jarvis, who headed home from close range after being left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.
Showing tremendous team spirit, the visitors battled back to level the scores on the stroke of half time.
A defensive mix-up allowed Luke Kavanagh to nudge the ball on to his strike partner James Lindsey and, in spectacular fashion, the wily forward guided the ball past two covering defenders and into the top corner.
Boosted by the goal, Town started the second-half with a confident swagger and soon found themselves in front when substitute Uduma Kalu came off the bench to make an immediate impact.
Gustavo Angel won the ball in midfield and released the enthusiastic Kalu, who danced his way into the box before being brought down for what would have been a certain penalty.
The referee, however, played a good advantage as Kalu quickly regained his balance and coolly slotted the ball beyond the keeper.
The momentum was with the Townies and they continued to pour forward in search of a decisive third goal, but potential heartache struck in the final 10 minutes when the Hillmen were awarded a penalty.
Defender Chinua Phinn-Archer was adjudged to have obstructed one of the Hillingdon players while trying to protect the ball, allowing the home side to level the scores from the spot. It looked like Kentish Town were only going to be rewarded for all their hard work with a disappointing replay at their Barnet Copthall home ground. But with just minutes on the clock, midfielder Fabion Simms made himself an FA Cup hero when he raced clear and slid the ball past the keeper.
It was by far Town’s best performance under new manager Rakatahr Hudson, who, after the match, said: “We are all absolutely delighted with the performance and the result. Considering the age of our squad, it is a real achievement to earn Kentish Town their first ever win in such a prestigious competition – especially against a Hillingdon side that have started the season so well.
“We told the squad after the game that they should enjoy the win, but the season has only just started so we can’t afford to celebrate for too long.” |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
