Epic encounter at Massey ends in penalty drama (10.10.09)

Bedworth Nursing Cup 1st Round

Massey Ferguson Reserves 2 Bourton & Frankton 2

(after extra time)

Bourton & Frankton won 8 - 7 on penalties

An epic encounter for Bourton at Massey's as it took a penalty shoot-out for the visitors to eventually progress at their lower division opponent's expense.

Lee Catlow in normal time and Mark Whitehead in extra time had twice saw Bourton go in front only to be pegged back, before a prelonged spot kicks shoot-out saw the villagers edge the contest.

Bourton started the game slowly and should have been out it before half time with Masseys creating numerous chances to score but with a mixture of poor finishing and great goalkeeping from Ben Salisbury in Bourton's goal kept the score at 0-0

The second half started with Bourton on top playing some better football and a good move down the right wing found Catlow on the edge of the box; his run and cross was turned into the goal by a Massey defender on 47 mins.

The rest of the half was pretty even with both teams creating chances, however Masseys levelled 10 mins from the end of the game when a corner was not cleared by the Bourton defence and the forward slipping the ball past the oncoming keeper.

Deadlock then at 90 minutes and into extra time where Bourton started well on top with sub Whitehead seeing two efforts well saved from the Massey keeper in the first 5 minutes. Not to be denied he put Bourton in front 5 minutes later, when Catlow found him on the edge of the box, Whitehead jinked past the defender and shot into the top corner from 18 yards.

From here Bourton looked in control until the ref ignored the linesman in the last couple of minutes to allow Masseys to equalise again with a player well offside. Bourton could and should have snatched it with the last kick of the game when Coburn reacted to the loose ball in the box; his effort going just past the post.

Onto penalties where Bourton won 8-7, Salisbury making a great save to keep Bourton in it when Stockdale hit the bar, Justin Neal scoring his pealtyn afterwards with their defender missing the target to make Bourton the victors.

All in all a rusty performance from Bourton who had gone 3 weeks without a game and it showed !!!