The game started brightly on a very quick surface and WHB took the lead about fifteen minutes in, Ryan Muir chipped a ball over the Beaver defender and Rhys Jones squared the ball for Jay Walker to finish for his fourth goal in three matches. For the second game running, WHB were caught just after scoring. After giving a free-kick away on the edge of the box, the ball was played short to the oncoming Beaver player who unleashed a thunderous drive into the net to equalise. Beaver then only five minutes later, took the lead when a hopeful ball over the WHB defence not only beat them, but lobbed over Stuart Fleming into the goal.
WHB got back into the game through the individual brilliance of Muir, who received the ball twenty-five yards away from goal after some neat inter-play in the midfield. Muir cut inside from the left, and curled an effort which went straight into the top corner. WHB went into the break level with the score at two goals each.
Matt L'argent changed things around ten minutes into the second half, Jason Dodsworth, Chris Charnley, James Amos, Dan Johnson and Louis Robertson came on to try and break the deadlock. Things didn't quite go to play when Beaver took the lead. Beaver capitalised on a bouncing ball which was slipped through to the sriker who slotted home past a helpless Fleming. Soon after Beaver got into the final third and following a scramble in the box the ball was fired towards goal only for Fleming to make an incredible reaction save to tip the ball onto the bar. This didn't stop the Beaver pressure however and they were creating opportunities and another long ball saw confusion and indecision betweem captain Chris Webster and Fleming. The lack of communication allowed the Beaver forward to win the header and score what they must have thought would be the winner with only fifteen minutes to go. This was not the end for WHB however when more substitutions were made, reintroducing L'argent, Muir, Turvill, Ian Hanmore-Farrugia and R. Jones all returned and it soon paid dividends, R. Jones putting a measured cross onto the penalty spot which was met by Muir with a diving header. WHB were pushing for an equiliser and piled the pressure on but it just wasn't falling for them until the last minute of the game. A last opportunitty arose from a corner and after a massive scramble where Muir, Walker, Dodsworth and Turvill all had efforts blocked by the Beaver defence, the ball was finally poked home by captain Webster and set up a penalty shoot-out.
An injury to Fleming meant that Davies went in goal for the penalties. Beaver missed their first two penalties but Davies and then Norbury managed to put WHB into a two goal lead. Webster saw his penalty hit the post and Beaver got two back before Walker put WHB in the lead again at 3-2. Beaver needed to score their final penalty to stay in it but it was saved by Davies. WHB won the penalties four goals to two and will now await their opponents in the quarter-finals. The draw date is currently unconfirmed.
Matt L'argent made these comments post-match: "In the end I'm pleased we got the win and that we're in the next round, we showed great spirit to come back from two goals down and there was a very good attitude both on the pitch and on the sidelines. I don't think that we played as well as we can do, but even though we didn't play to our full potential we got the win and that's the main thing."
Team (4-4-2)
Fleming - D'sa, Webster (C), Norbury, L'argent - R. Jones, Hanmore-Farrugia, Davies, Muir - Turvill, Walker.
Subs:
(Used) Robertson, Dodsworth, Johnson, Charnley, Amos (Unused) None.
Goals: Walker, Muir 2, Webster
Man of the match: R. Jones
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