(Photo by Peter Dudley)

Sporting Bengal United 1 Brentwood Town 3

Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay

Wednesday 29^th August

A failure to take their chances finally put paid to Sporting Bengal’s FA Cup campaign as Brentwood Town were finally able to put down their valiant ESL rivals’ challenge.

The hosts set their stall inside the opening seconds when from kick off Ashaan Siddik charged through the Brentwood midfield, and then knocked the ball out wide to Codey Cameron who fired a shot over. There were a mere 10 seconds on the clock. Bengal continued trying to pour men forward when they got the ball, with Steven Carvell often the catalyst. A cross from him went begging in the 10^th minute as there was no one on hand to make use of the ball. Bobby Redwood also worked his way into Brentwood’s box but his shot lacked both power and direction as it was aimed directly at Robert Budd who was able to catch the ball with relative ease. An Albert Levett free kick was all the Bostik North outfit could muster in the opening stages.

Bengal has created most of the chances thus far, but hadn’t put any away and that was to cause them an issue in the 13^th minute when a sweeping ball into their box was poked home by Oluwatobi Joseph, giving Brentwood Town the lead.

The Blues didn’t rest on their laurels as they were soon on the attack again, with Harry Doyle holding off a challenge before laying off to Joseph whose low shot was parried by Suleyman Mahmood. The goal seemed to have deflated Bengal, although a good move ended with a dangerous cross from the right flank being drilled in by Cameron. But Joseph was soon up the other end, putting over a cross of his own that won Brentwood the first of a succession of corners.

But the hosts were able to muster a fast-paced attacking manoeuvre that resulted in Redwood being upended in the box by Budd which won Sporting Bengal a penalty. However this golden opportunity to draw level was wasted as Siddik’s weak penalty was saved by Budd, allowing him to make instant amends.

The hosts certainly needed a goal, as Brentwood Town looked more threatening than they had done in the original game on Saturday and Lovett had another free kick that just dipped over the bar, while Mahmood had to punch clear a threatening cross from Ryan Mallett, then show even quicker reflexes to come and claim a ball off the feet of Joseph, who had managed to take the ball past the Bengal backline and into a shooting position. Mahmood’s intervention certainly kept his side in it and just before the break the hosts nearly drew level, as first Redwood had a shot parried by Budd, then Siddik had a second bite with a rebound that was deflected away for a corner.

Bengal started the second half with a flurry, winning an early corner which ended with Chibuike Okoli going mightily close with a shot from outside the box. Carvel drilled a shot over, and Bengal’s bright opening to the second period almost paid dividends when they nearly found an equaliser via Carvell who poked a shot past Budd which hit the post.

But Brentwood Town had by now realised that Sporting Bengal were able to create chances and therefore knew that they needed to get another goal themselves if they wanted to put their opponents down. A fantastic through ball by Levett found Ayrton Coley in space but his run into Bengal’s box was ended with a solid tackle by Anthony Bruce, then Chris Greenslade had to dispossess Joseph, who had been a nuisance all evening and in the 55^th minute latched onto a long throw-in and was poised to shoot before tackled by the Bengal defender.

The hosts continued creating chances but by the 65^th minute had again been wasteful as David Vaughan missed the target with a header from close range; then Siddick drilled another shot over before the pair then combined, which momentarily split the Brentwood defence but petered out when Vaughan’s shot was smashed clear by Jack Gardner.

Having already missed with one penalty, Bengal were then awarded another one in the 68^th minute, as a ball into the box by Carvell was met by Redwood who was then brought down in the box, like he had been in the first half. This time there was a different outcome as Jon Watson stepped up and thumped the ball past Budd to draw Bengal level.

The hosts certainly deserved to have found the goal that they were so desperately looking for but they were to be on level terms for only four minutes as Alfie Hinton raced onto a ball that had been threaded into the Bengal box, and he fired his shot inside Mahmood’s right hand post to put the Blues back in front.

It meant that Sporting Bengal, having not so long ago found an equaliser, now had to pick themselves up and find a way to get back on terms;  Carvel nearly did that in the 77^th minute with a shot that was deflected for a corner. The resulting corner was met by the head of Kamarl Duncan but Budd smothered the ball on the line and soon afterwards Redwood let fly with a fierce shot that John Easterford blocked. Brentwood’s defence were digging in and putting in a shift; behind them they had the experienced Budd who also cut out a couple of Bengal crosses.

There was a bit of petulance from Harry Cuthbert who kicked the ball away just as the game was coming into the final ten minutes; that earned him a second yellow card, which meant the red then followed and off he went. Redwood then received his second yellow card for a similar incident soon afterwards which saw him also leaving the field of play.  Both teams therefore were down to ten men as the game entered the final stages.

Carvel dinked over a useful looking cross in the 87^th minute that just failed to reach a clutch of Bengal players waiting by the back post. And as the game entered stoppage time Vaughan then took it upon himself to try a last ditch heroic attempt on Brentwood’s goal, working his way in before having his initial shot blocked by Connor Tyrell, then the rebound blocked and cleared by Hunter. That launched a counter-attack, which of course took the ball away from Brentwood’s area meaning they could perhaps breathe a bit easier;  but the Blues went on to make good usage of the ball, or rather Levett did, as he let fly from 30 yards out with a shot that arched over Mahmood and landed in the back of the net. It was a wonderful goal, and it finally booked Brentwood Town’s place in the 1^st Qualifying Round, but Sporting Bengal United certainly gave them two tough games but ultimately paid the price for not being more clinical with their chances. Brentwood had been over the two games and now entertain Haringey Borough in the next round.

Sporting Bengal United: Suleyman Mahmood, Chris Gleenslade (Danny Tenkorang 73’), Jon Watson, Joshua Adeji, Kamarl Duncan, Anthony Bruce, Codey Cameron, Ashaan Siddik (Capt), Bobby Redwood, Steven Carvell, Zakariya Haque (David Vaughan 46’).

Scorer – Jon Watson (68’p).

Brentwood Town: Robert Budd, Jack Gardner (Connor Tyrell 88’), Oluwatobi Joseph, Mitchell Hunter, John Easterford, Connor Martin, Harry Doyle (Ayrton Coley 46’), Ryan Mallett, Jack Mitchell (Harry Cuthbert 58’), Alfie Hinton, Albert Levett.

Scorers – Oluwatobi Joseph (13’), Alfie Hinton (72’), Albert Levett (90+3’).