City 3 Billericay Tn 1

Eastern Junior Alliance League Cup: 14th February 2010

Billericay Town were the visitors for this EJA Challenge Cup Quarter Final at Milton Road. We had 15 boys available with Tom Sapsford (School Trip) the only player missing. Joey Nicholson made the bench after missing the last two games with a groin injury but would only be used if required.

We lined up as follows:
BRANDON, YOUNGS, GUY, SPENCER (c), MARTIN, FLACK, BROWN, HOBSON, DRISCOLL, DARLING, POOLEY : subs, HOWARD, WYMAN, WRIGHT, NICHOLSON.

We started the game with great momentum and DARLING went close after good work by BROWN. The boys looked 'well up' for this and when SPENCER's long ball undid the visitors defence DARLING was onto it like a flash and clipped it past the Billericay keeper to put us one up in the 5th minute.

We carried on with good possession and it wasn't until the 13th minute BRANDON in the home goal was called into action with a comfortable save. HOBSON's precise pass released FLACK and his excellent cross went begging as no one got on the end of it. Our next two chances both came from the same source. YOUNGS crosses both finding the head of POOLEY, firstly a fine save preventing us going two up and secondly heading just over the bar.

In the 25th minute FLACK was released by MARTIN and his cross was again met by POOLEY but he nodded just wide. The visitors biggest threat came from corners & freekicks into the box, but BRANDON was commanding his area in confident fashion. We again took control for the last 10 minutes of the half and YOUNGS did well to find DARLING and his cross was met first time by POOLEY but his shot fizzed wide. That was followed by GUY & DRISCOLL combining for DARLING to go clear but his shot was turned away for a corner. The final chance of the half fell to Billericay but BRANDON again showed great handling to avert the danger.

H/T Cambridge City 1 Billericay Town 0

We made one change at the break with WYMAN replacing FLACK.

An early chance for the visitors saw BRANDON spreading himself well at the feet of the attacker. The 53rd minute saw us double our lead. DRISCOLL, WYMAN & HOBSON all combined to find POOLEY and he found strike partner DARLING who fired home left footed from the edge of the area. Four minutes later we made the game safe when BROWN found POOLEY and his great pass put DARLING in on goal and the striker slipped it past the keeper to complete an excellent hat-trick.

In the 62nd minute we made two subs HOWARD replacing DARLING and WRIGHT coming on in goal for BRANDON. We still looked threatening as the game got stretched HOBSON releasing BROWN who beat two players but blazed high and wide. Fair play to Billericay they never gave up and were rewarded with a goal. An excellent move involving four players saw the striker clear in the box to fire past WRIGHT. We did have a shaky couple of minutes after that but we soon regained our composure and went searching for a 4th goal. HOWARD playing in POOLEY but the keeper made the save.

FLACK replaced the shattered BROWN for the last five minutes and it was FLACK and HOBSON teaming up to put WYMAN through but again the visiting keeper saved well.

F/T Cambridge City 3 Billericay Town 1

The boys move into the last 4 of the cup from 52 teams who started out. A great achievement and something to look forward to later in the season. George Darling hit his 4th hat-trick of the campaign, but strike partner Tayler Pooley also had a fine match setting up two of George's goals and with a little more luck he could have easily have had a hat-trick himself. It was a physical battle at times but we matched Billericay for that and created a lot of chances today.

Next week we play Witchford in the County Cup semi final. The games will now come thick and fast and everyone as important as the last.

Cambridge City Boys Section