FA CUP REPLAY Saltash United 4 Millbrook AFC 6
- Details
- Created on Thursday, 12 August 2021 13:51
- Last Updated on Thursday, 12 August 2021 14:38
- Published on Thursday, 12 August 2021 13:51
- Written by KEVIN MARRIOTT Cornwall football's touchline ace
Millbrook defied all the odds as they produced a sensational second half comeback to send Saltash crashing out of the FA Cup at a soaking Kimberley.
First half goals from Sam Farrant and Sam Hughes appeared to put the Ashes in charge of this extra preliminary round replay.
And when Hughes made it 3-0 after 54 minutes, it had to be game over.
Or so the majority of the crowd of 222 must have thought.
Even when Rikki Shepherd pulled a goal back three minutes later, to a neutral it felt like only a consolation.
But the sight of Shepherd sprinting back and planting the ball firmly on the centre spot signalled the visitors believed otherwise.
What followed in the next seven minutes surprised and astonished in equal measure as Millbrook scored three times to lead 4-3 and turn the replay on its head – with 25 minutes still to go.
Centre half Dave Youldon hammered home their second goal in the 62nd minute, Shepherd struck again within 90 seconds to equalise, and two minutes after that Josh Toulson, moved up front from his defensive role, put them ahead for the first time.
Saltash were visibly shaken, Millbrook smelt blood, and skipper Tom Payne added their fifth goal after 72 minutes. Suddenly the ground seemed to be full of Brook supporters as the celebratory noises reverberated around Kimberley.
To their credit, the Ashes somehow found the strength of character to drag themselves off the floor and when Charlie Elkington’s looping header reduced the arrears, it left the home side with 12 minutes to find an equaliser.
They did pile on the pressure, and in one mad penalty area scramble the ball just wouldn’t fall to a Saltash player, but Millbrook took the pressure off by playing towards the left corner flag at the opposite end in the dying minutes.
They kept possession intelligently – but that wasn’t good enough for them. In the last few seconds, they worked a way out of the corner flag crowd and substitute Ed Goodman fired in a low shot to end any doubt about the outcome of a game which will live long in the memory.
For the record, Millbrook now travel to Willand Rovers in the preliminary round on Saturday, August 21 (1500ko).
Saltash: R Rickard, C Elkington, C Martindale, T Love-Holmes, C O’Brien, H Wilson, S Crocker (R Smith), S Farrant, S Hughes (R Thomson 58), J Woods (C Menhenick), D Lewis
Sub not used: E Milne
Goals: S Farrant (7) S Hughes (36, 54)
Yellow card: D Lewis (38)
Millbrook: S Borthwick, R Tetley, J Toulson, J Wood, D Youldon, R Hamilton (R Knight 46), C Mahoney (L Murray), T Payne, B Holter (E Goodman), R Shepherd, S Morcom
Subs not used: S Todd, O Small
Goals: R Shepherd (57, 63) D Youldon (62) J Toulson (65) T Payne (72) E Goodman (90+2)
Referee: Kevin Hoare
Attendance: 222
SWSN Star Rikki Shepherd (Millbrook)
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