Gosport Borough (0) 1 Cope 87
Tonbridge Angels (0) 0
Attendance: 594
Admission: Pass
Mileage: 240/3,330
New Ground: 388
This FA Trophy tie pivoted in the space of a minute, late in the game, leaving the Angels exiting the competition at the hands of their hosts, Gosport Borough.
Three minutes remained when Trevan Robinson was sent through on goal, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he shot wide. The game quickly switched to the other end, a shot from Samuel Faniyan was parried by the Angels keeper, Matt Rowley, but only into the path of Cope who took his chance from close range and the Angels Wembley interest was ended for another year.
“We were toothless in the final third. We’ve had loads of possession, balls in the box, opportunities, but you have to take them and make them count, we haven’t done that and we’ve got punished at the end,” said a frustrated Jay Saunders after the game.
Under grey Hampshire skies, Jay was denied the services of Noel Leighton (injury) and Sean Shields (illness) as he made one change from the side that gained a point at Torquay with loan signing Charlie Pegrum coming in for Shields.
From one of countless Liam Vincent crosses through the game, Jamie Fielding headed into the hands of Callum Ward after six minutes and a stalemate followed with little or nothing being achieved by either side in a half instantly forgettable for an attendance of 594.
The second half began and continued with the same momentum with an early effort from Crossley Lema clearing the bar and Vincent continuing to rain crosses into the box only to find the final touch missing.
The Angels themselves had a mighty let off on 52 minutes when Alfie Stanley saw his header rebound off a post back into the grateful arms of Rowley.
It is said that possession is nine-tenths of the law, football doesn’t work like that and as chance after chance went begging, Ryan Hanson shooting over after 54 minutes; Robinson at the goalkeeper after 58 minutes and forcing Ward into a good, low save on 72; the spectre of penalties was looming large. And all the while, Vincent continued to cross the ball …
When the last few minutes were entered and penalties seemed inevitable, the fateful 87th minute pronounced its verdict and despite Vincent putting one last cross into the box that was attacked by the pushed forward defenders Fielding and Nazir Bakrin, the ball was scrambled to safety.
Asked about the finishing, Jay concluded: “People have been given enough chances, but the facts are the chances we have, Trev goes through at the end, he has to score. There is no like, he’s unlucky, I’m done with unlucky, he has to score, you can’t go through like that and not finish, one-on-one with the keeper, it’s not good enough.”
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