10-man Brentwood Town are out of the FA Cup after they let slip an early two goal lead, as they lost 4-2 away to Didcot Town and fall short of a place in the FA Cup first round proper.
‘The Blues’ set off at a canter and grabbed an early two goal lead as Craig Reid opened the scoring for Brentwood with a long range strike. Jamie Guy doubled Brentwood’s advantage shortly afterwards, as he smartly tucked away his shot.
Didcot then started the comeback, as Mark Janes’ low strike found its way past Norton. The equaliser came just before half-time as Jack Longford’s bullet header brought Didcot back on terms.
Joshua Banton was then sent off for violent conduct shortly into the second half.
Didcot broke down Brentwood and got infront, as Josh Dutton-Black slotted in and finished with a fourth – as Jack Powell put Didcot into the first round proper for the first time.
Dean Holdsworth made three changes to their side that knocked out Hoddesdon Town in the previous round, as Jack Norton was drafted in for the absent Martyn Guest. Joshua Banton and Liam Hope replaced Andrew Freeman and Leon Fisher who drop to the bench.
Brentwood took an early lead just eight minutes in as Jamie Guy knocked the ball down to Craig Reid who spotted the keeper off his line and hit his shot from over 25 yards, to rocket into the back of the net.
‘The Blues’ extended their advantage within two minutes of the first, after a loose pass from the Didcot defender put Guy in to burst towards goal and slotted it past Leigh Bedwell.
Didcot were back in the game within six minutes, as the ball was worked out to Janes and his snap shot skidded off the surface – to squirm underneath Jack Norton.
Reid went for another spectacular shot on the volley this time from 20 yards, which was scrambled away by Bedwell.
Didcot grabbed the equaliser five minutes before the break, as James Heapys’ clipped cross to the far post was met by Longford to power his header home.
Brentwood almost converted virtually from the restart, as a goal mouth scramble was poked goalwards by Reid which had to be cleared off the line by Andrew Ballard.
In the second half, Reid was put through on goal and as he tried to tuck it past Bedwell he wasequal to it as he palmed the shot away with a strong hand.
Brentwood were reduced to 10-men just seven minutes in, after Banton was penalised for pulling the Didcot players shirt, as he retreated he then retaliated with a head-butt on substitute Jack Powell and was sent down the tunnel.
Didcot pilled on the pressure, as Brentwood were a man down – Longford’s volley on the edge off the box was well-saved by Norton down low to his left.
From the resulting corner, Adam Learoyds’ header looked goal bound but for Nicky Symons to instinctively hook the ball off the line, to keep Didcot at bay.
Brentwood were on the ropes and were stretched at the back, as the home side found a breakthrough with 10 minutes remaining, from a loose ball which was not cleared by the Brentwood defence as Dutton-Black swept the ball inside the far post.
‘The Blues’ were so near to an equaliser after a poor back pass from the keeper Bedwell, to give Guy a one-on-one but his shot was saved again by Bedwell to make up for his opening mistake.
The home side finished with a flourish in injury-time due to Brentwood being outnumbered at the back. Heapy made his second assist after surging forward and cut the ball across the box for an unmarked Powell to fire in from close range – to put Didcot into the draw for the first round proper.
Brentwood Town Lineup: 1 Jack Norton, 2 Joshua Banton, 2 Martyn Stokes ©, 4 Nicky Symons, 5 Paul Goodacre, 6 Ryan O’Rawe, 7 Shad Ngandu (75), 8 Mitch Hahn, 9 Craig Reid, 10 Jamie Guy, 11 Liam Hope (53)
Substitutes: 12 Tom Richardson (88), 14 Jordan Holdsworth, 15 Andrew Freeman (53), 16 Leon Fisher, 17 Laurence, 18 Robbie Rees (75), 20 Matt Belcher
Didcot Town: 1 Leigh Bedwell, 2 James Heapy, 3 James Organ, 4 Andrew Ballard, 5 Luke Carnell ©, Adam Learoyd, 7 Jack Longford, 8 Jack Self, 9 Mark Janes (17), 10 Mark Francis, 11 Josh Dutton-Black
Substitutes: 12 Jack Powell (17), 14 Jimmy Deabill, 15 Matthew Woodley, 16 Graham Edney, 17 Kieran Collins, 18 Joel Thompson (64), GK Josh Gannon
Attendance: 347
Interview with Brentwood Forward Craig Reid:
