Three second half goals saw Sutton Common Rovers first team exit this season's FA Vase away at Bowers & Pitsea, from the Essex Senior League, writes By Gary Brigden
Our first real sign of attacking intent game on eight minutes, when a long clearance by Anson Cousins found Richie Smith and after winning a throw in, he almost set Francois Gabbidon away, but the powerful Dan Trenkel in the heart of the Bowers defence was on hand to clear.
SCR should have opened the scoring on ten minutes when Liam Holden found Smith, he guided a cross over Luke Wilson, and Richie Monans placed shot was superbly saved low down to his right by Martyn Guest in the Bowers goal.
The heavy conditions were hindering the efforts of both sides to get the ball down and play, and their was little in the way of goalmouth action for the next ten minutes. On 20 minutes though a long range effort by Ross Adams flew just wide of Harvey Cheadles right hand post and a minute later a whipped effort into the near post by Alfie Hilton was well defended by Adams.
Bowers almost got in on 28 minutes, when a long ball over the top almost set Manor away, but as he bore down on goal, with Adams in close attendance the ball stuck in the surface and the SCR defender was able to make a challenge and eventually scramble the ball clear.
Manor almost got in again on the half hour but was denied by a great challenge by the excellent Dave Burton, and a minute later Burton was called into action to clear a decent Wilson delivery in the SCR area.
SCR thought they had a shout for a penalty on 35 minutes, when a neat free kick routine saw White bundled over by Trenkel, unfortunately for SCR the referee had spotted an earlier Cuosins infringement and the free kick went the way of the home side. Wilson then headed a Smith delivery behind for a corner as SCR had their first real consistent spell of pressure. From the corner Wilson beat Cousins to the ball and Bowers cleared.
Trenkel cleared a decent Sam Blowers ball into the area, and as Bowers broke quickly we were eventually grateful to Cousins who turned the ball behind for a corner. From the corner Burton won the first header and as the ball dropped to Rob Whitnell our bodies threw themselves at the ball forcing him to sky his effort.
Manor had a shot deflected behind on 43 minutes and from the corner, Wilson somehow fired over from close range, and half time came scoreless.
SCR should have taken the lead early in the second half, when a long Cheadle clearance was flicked on by Gabbidon to Monan, and with only Guest to beat he dragged his shot wide of the keeper but agonisingly wide of the left hand post.
Burton made a great block on 49 minutes, after a Manor cross had been headed back into the danger area. Blowers went into the book for a foul on 53 minutes, and from the free kick, launched forward by Trenkel, Bowers won the first header and as Adams went to clear the ball didn't bounce, leaving Manor with a simple chance to fire Bowers into the lead.
SCR almost gifted Bowers a second a couple of minutes later when an Aaron Bogle crossfield ball was intercepted by Whitnell but his shot from distance was comfortable for Cheadle. Smith, Blowers and White then linked up well on 58 minutes, with the final delivery by Blowers just to close to the impressive Guest and the keeper gathered well under pressure from White.
Guest then pulled off another blinding save from a fierce Monan drive, and both White and Burton were unable to force the loose ball home. Bowers went close to increasing their lead on 64 minutes, when a couple of decent deliveries from set plays caused chaos in our area, but we managed to scramble to ball clear.
Wilson found his way into the book for Bowers on 63 minutes for a poor challenge on Blowers, and a couple of minutes later Darren Salmon made his first change replacing Blowers with the lively Kobe Botwe.
Two minutes later and it was game over. Neat play on the right by Hinton saw his get beyond both Cousins and Holden and his low delivery across the area was turned home by Vinny Durrant for 2-0.
We didn't give up and started to throw people forward, and a couple of times we forced the home side into some desperate defending, with Trenkel coming to fore on several occasions and denying us a way back into the game.
with just over fifteen minutes to go SCR almost had a way back when good play in the middle of the park saw White released on the right, his low cross found Gabbidon, but he could only put his volley over the bar. If it wasn't already over, then it certainly was on 77 minutes. The hugely impressive Manor started things on the left, and a lovely flowing move saw Bowers slice us open, and Hinton was left with a simple tap in for 3-0 (the sort of move that has you purring as a neutral - as I wasn't it had the opposite effect).
We made two changes with Danny Fernandez and Omari Hibbert, on for a competitive debut, replacing Adams and Gabbidon for the final 13 minutes.
Wilson thumped a header against the bar on 86 minutes as the home side ended the game stronger.
Congratulations to Bowers, they won well both on and off the pitch, thank you for the nice words on Twitter and looked after us well on the day.
For us, well it wasn't to be, but having never been passed the first round before to get to the last 32 was an amazing achievement. We are proud of the team and management and will continue to get behind them for the rest of this and future seasons.