GEORDIES END VALLEY CUP HOPES

EMIRATES FA CUP – SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING

CRAY VALLEY (PM) 1 HANWELL TOWN 2 – 17th Sep 2022 - ATT 144
Goals CV - Bennett 38
H - Lucan 50, Barnwell 62

Report by Richard J Green

Valley hopes of FA Cup glory this season were thwarted by two early second half goals as Hanwell Town turned around a half time deficit at the Artic Stadium.
The visitors were first out of the blocks, dominating the opening 20 minutes as Valley struggled to come to terms with the visitors’ pace and power.
Geordies’ skipper Harry Rush was first to threaten - striking the crossbar from 20 yards with Chris Lewington well beaten, before Jack Hutchinson shot narrowly over after a sustained spell of pressure.
But as the first half wore on the home side grew more into the game, with Denzel Gayle’s pace on the right causing problems for the Hanwell defence.
Gayle’s 24th minute run into the penalty area took him past goalkeeper Hugo Sobte before his pass fell into the path of Dan Bennett. As the Valley midfielder was about to slot his team into the lead, he appeared to be clipped by a defender – referee Joe McKay and his assistant however deemed otherwise.
Cem Tumkaya headed narrowly over from a Hassan Ibrahiym corner before Valley took the lead shortly before half time.
Following a marauding run and cross by Gayle into the visitors 18 yard box, Adam Coombes used his strength to hold off a defender – laying the ball off for Bennett to fire beyond Sobte from 12 yards.
The lead was to be short lived however as, four minutes after the break, Shomari Barnwell broke in from the left and squared the ball for Conrad Lucan to slot home the equaliser.
Matters became worse for Valley just after the hour as Isaac Olorunfemi’s ball in from the right was converted by Barnwell from six yards.
Sobte denied Coombes with a superb block from close range as the host sought parity, but The Geordies utilised their superior strength from the bench to keep Valley at bay as time ebbed away and dreams of a cup run faded.

MATCH RATING: - ***

MILLERS’ MAN OF THE MATCH – Denzel Gayle

MILLERS : Lewington, Dymond ©, Chambers (Majekodunmi 90), Oshilaja, Tumkaya, Gayle, Black, Coombes, Douglas (Williams 76), Bennett, Ibrahiym
Substitute Not Used : Davis-Whitlock
Caution : Oshilaja

GEORDIES : Sobte, Olorunfemi, Miskin (MacKenzie 85), Duffy, Wilks, Nicholas, Rush ©, Barnwell (Waters 79), Lucan (Chendlik 90), Hutchinson
Substitutes Not Used : Onokwai, Rowe, Woodcock, Otudeko
Caution : Miskin

Referee : Joe McKay
Assistants : Rhys Jeffery and Marian Stochitoiu