fixtures and results | home page
Whyteleafe failed to get revenge for their defeat in last year’s final, going out to a winner deep into extra time and having played the final half hour with ten men.
The visitors started brightly and in the third minute Asher Hudson’s free kick was headed into the arms of Ian Chatfield by Andrew Martin. After 15 minutes, Callum MacLean put Paul Scott through; his shot was deflected but saved by Chatfield. Scott made a great run down the left in the 27th minute, pulled the ball back into the box but the danger was cleared. Alhajie Jabbie then lost the ball 25 yards out, but Dean Gunner hit the chance well over the bar.
MacLean put Carlton Murray-Price through in the 32nd minute but a great saving tackle denied him. Murray-Price then set Scott up two minutes later but his shot was blocked. Honours were about even at half time in a reasonable game somewhat spoilt by the number of soft yellow cards shown on both sides.
Merstham came out strongly in the second half. Gavin Gordon chipped the ball over Jason Goodchild who then brought down Kevin Lock just outside the box. Mark Simmonds free kick was punched away by Rob O'Hara. Two minutes later James Hancock was also brought down just outside the box after a good run at the defence. Simmons free kick found Lock at the far post but his header was well stopped by O'Hara. After a scramble in the box, ‘Leafe were relieved to eventually get the ball away to safety.
A good move two minutes later saw Scott and Murray-Price combining, then finding Martin in the box but his shot went wide. Martin then had a header on the hour from a Ryan Gray free kick blocked. MacLean did will to win the ball in the 66th minute and put over a superb cross to find Gray whose shot was blocked by Chatfield.
Murray-Price was well placed at the far post to meet a 72nd minute Mark Hammond corner, but headed wide. Merstham took a 73rd minute lead when Agyei flicked the ball on over the ‘Leafe defence, which ex Leafe favourite Lock ran onto and placed the ball well past O'Hara into the net.
Manager Stuart Massey made a couple of late changes, and this had an immediate impact, with Ronnie Green equalising in the 87th minute, only a minute after coming on, when he fired home from a Scott cross.
In the final minute of normal time, Martin was sent off for a second yellow card after a challenge that even had the Merstham defender pleading his case as so little contact was made.
Extra time was fairly even with the ten men of ‘Leafe working hard and having as much of the play as Merstham, but not really troubling keeper Chatfield. They were fortunate in the 107th minute when a poor kick by O'Hara went to Grieg Vernon, who passed to the unmarked Agyei. His chip beat O'Hara but hit the bar.
Four minutes later, Green had another great run down the right, crossing for Murray-Price, but a great saving tackle denied him a chance. Jabbie miskicked in the box in the 113th minute, the ball falling to Ross White whose shot was deflected for a corner. From this corner Agyei headed home unchallenged from 6 yards to take the hosts through to the next round. ‘Leafe had one last chance to equalise two minutes from time but Hudson's header was cleared off the line.
Whyteleafe: O'Hara, Goodchild, Jabbie, Hudson, Harney, MacLean (Green 83), Martin, Broomhead (Hammond 70), Gray (Greene 86), Murray-Price, Scott.