I'll get straight to the point....I still don't feel very well and I feel a bit stink for not fronting up this afternoon.
This match had controvesy woven throughout.....I'll cut to the chase.
1st half.....Andy Davey has a perfectly good goal disallowed and is then blown up for a foul after a Rewa defender handled the ball in the box.....they are getting stuck in and half a dozen dubious challenges are overlooked. They also missed an open goal which was hilarious....mmmm this could get interesting.
2nd half...55th minute Rewa punt the ball hopefully into our penalty area...which clipsTony D 's arm.....the ref couldn't point to the spot quickly enough. Penalty dispatched neatly. One down and the lads are starting to flag....
20 minutes to go, Fabs launches a hefty throw into the box, confusion, ball comes back out, he clips it back in....the Rewa defender leaned into the ball which caught him at the top of his arm....Woulfy flags for the penalty....ref agrees.
Dave Benard strides up, smacks it smartly only to see the huge Rewa keeper make a good save.....one problem, he couldn't hold it....Andy Davey picks up the scraps and pops it home. 1-1
The lads are now running on virtually empty, but the will to win kept them going. This was tested to the max in the 80th minute when the most ridiculous penalty award went Rewa's way......the youngster decided to dive a full thirty yards outside the box as the excellent Dolly went in for the challenge. The hight this kid got had to be seen to be believed. The ref bought it.....what a load of cobblers.
Third penalty of the game and again it was successful....2-1 down, ten minutes to go how do we dig ourselves out of this one? Step forward Russell Whiter.
85th minute, great work by Andy Davey , (who was now operating on one leg) fed the ball to Russell in the box.. he twisted one way, then the other and the goal opened up for him....as calm as you like, he stroked the ball home. 2-2....extra time beckoned and became reality.
Five minutes into extra time our task became even harder when John Keen was sent off for .....well, no reason really....boots not clean enough? Light the fuse and stand back....
A couple of minutes later Rewa should have taken the lead following a goalmouth melee, their striker heads against the bar from 3 inches out....phew!
The rest of extra time was stoutly defended by Dads Army and for the first time in our illustrious history we entered the twighlight territory which is penalty shootouts.
The banter in the centre circle was excellent between the two sides....good humoured and genuinely funny.
Rewa started and scored, Dave Benard did likewise, Andre then saved the second, only to be over-ruled for moving before the ball was kicked....bugger! The Rewa player then scored with his second attempt.
Fabs made it 2-2....then Andre threw his battered frame into the path of Rewa's third, legitimately this time. Talk about Roy of the Rovers!
Dolly made it 3-2, Rewa made no mistake with their 4th....step forward Andy Davey. To say his effort was unusual is an understatement...he ran dead straight to the ball then clipped it with the outside of his right boot in off the post....4-3 up...nearly there!
Rewa prolonged the agony by tucking away their fifth kick...Andy Finlayson come on down.
I can't describe his effort as I couldn't look....what I do know is that an almighty roar went up from the lads as it hit the back of the net....what a victory!
The team were absolutely shattered but delighted.....each and every player deserves huge credit.....it was ticker of the highest order.....special mention to Tony D and George Milloy....to have 2 fella's in their 50's fronting up like they did today was inspirational.
Quarter Finals..is lady luck on our side? For long periods today she wasn't, but she turned up when it mattered.