FC United held in FA Cup by last gasp Bootle
FC United threw away a two goal lead in the Emirates FA Cup at Bootle FC on Saturday afternoon and will have to do it all again in a replay at Broadhurst Park on Tuesday.
The Reds were 2-0 up after 24 minutes and were looking on course for the next round. However, the hosts fought back in the second half and after scoring a penalty in the 69th minute, they bagged an equaliser deep into injury time.
The visitors took the lead on 17 minutes when a ball over the top found Cedric Main who teed himself up well and headed the ball over Ryan Jones and into the net. The lead was doubled seven minutes later when Matty Rain found Main in the box, he turned and fired a great shot past Jones.
It seemed at the break how many would FC get, but Bootle had other ideas and they were in control of a second half that FC struggled to get any football played whatsoever.
The impressive Ben Hodkinson headed wide when unmarked and Michael Carberry fired at Dan Lavercombe, who was back in the side after returning from illness. Carl Peers smashed the bar with a shot as the FC goal led a charmed life. The Reds were handed a massive lifeline on 68 minutes when a shot was well saved by Lavercombe, but it did seem the officials were generous as the ball was suspiciously close to crossing the line.
A minute later, the lead was halved when Finlay Sinclair-Smith tripped Hodkinson and the referee awarded the penalty, Hodkinson getting up and placing the ball into the bottom corner.
Deep into injury time, it looked like FC had “got away with one” and would see the game home, but Bootle skipper Liam Loughlan had other ideas, smashing a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner for a deserved equaliser. Even a red card for Connor Millington couldn’t dampen the day for the home team who will now look forward to a replay on Tuesday.
Website man of the match: Michael Potts. Best of a struggling bunch this week. As usual, never stopped pressing and probing.
Report by Steven Wood
FC United held in FA Cup by last gasp Bootle
FC United threw away a two goal lead in the Emirates FA Cup at Bootle FC on Saturday afternoon and will have to do it all again in a replay at Broadhurst Park on Tuesday.
The Reds were 2-0 up after 24 minutes and were looking on course for the next round. However, the hosts fought back in the second half and after scoring a penalty in the 69th minute, they bagged an equaliser deep into injury time.
The visitors took the lead on 17 minutes when a ball over the top found Cedric Main who teed himself up well and headed the ball over Ryan Jones and into the net. The lead was doubled seven minutes later when Matty Rain found Main in the box, he turned and fired a great shot past Jones.
It seemed at the break how many would FC get, but Bootle had other ideas and they were in control of a second half that FC struggled to get any football played whatsoever.
The impressive Ben Hodkinson headed wide when unmarked and Michael Carberry fired at Dan Lavercombe, who was back in the side after returning from illness. Carl Peers smashed the bar with a shot as the FC goal led a charmed life. The Reds were handed a massive lifeline on 68 minutes when a shot was well saved by Lavercombe, but it did seem the officials were generous as the ball was suspiciously close to crossing the line.
A minute later, the lead was halved when Finlay Sinclair-Smith tripped Hodkinson and the referee awarded the penalty, Hodkinson getting up and placing the ball into the bottom corner.
Deep into injury time, it looked like FC had “got away with one” and would see the game home, but Bootle skipper Liam Loughlan had other ideas, smashing a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner for a deserved equaliser. Even a red card for Connor Millington couldn’t dampen the day for the home team who will now look forward to a replay on Tuesday.
Website man of the match: Michael Potts. Best of a struggling bunch this week. As usual, never stopped pressing and probing.
Report by Steven Wood
