FA Cup preliminary round

Binfield 1

Shortwood United 2

By Jim Cunneen

SHORTWOOD will face a first qualifying round home tie against the winners of Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay between Brimscombe and Bracknell.

Shortwood co-manager John Evans was delighted to see his side return to form.

He said: “I am delighted with the way we bounced back after our performance last week – we could have been three-up after 15 minutes.”

In truth, the margin of victory should have been far higher and Binfield, although they never gave up, only managed one shot on target.

Shortwood moved Niall Halford into the back four and pushed Tim Haddock forward and looked a far more cohesive outfit and for the first 25 minutes dominated, could easily have been three goals to the good, and played some free-flowing football.

Wood had already created a couple of chances before Marley Thomas rattled the post after five minutes and then Adam Price headed straight at the keeper and Matt Bennett fired narrowly wide.

It was therefore no surprise when Shortwood took the lead after 12 minutes. Tom king kicked long, Lee flicked on and Liam Meredith ran on and coolly lobbed keeper Silver.

Shortwood lost Halford to injury after 26 minutes and with Haddock dropping back into the back four and Meredith dropping deeper, they lost their momentum.

Just before the break Lee had an effort rightly ruled out for off side, Thomas was having a good game on the flank and he had an early chance to double the score when he cut in and forced Silver into a fine save and Bennett was again narrowly wide.

With an hour gone the game had a moment of controversy. Haddock spotted the keeper off his line with a 45 yard free-kick, as he has done before, but this time his effort came down off the underside of the bar.

Meredith was the only player to react and he ran on and scored only to be denied by offside flag. Wood still created the better chances but Binfield were level with seven minutes to go. A poor forward pass was intercepted and a quick interchange left Ferdinand the chance to shoot home from 20 yards.

They weren’t level for long however. With two minutes to go a raking Haddock pass found Thomas down the right and he stripped his defender before flashing the ball low and hard into the box where Lee crashed the ball home at the near post.

SHORTWOOD: King, Rawlings, Humphreys, Lewis, Halford (Cant, 26,White 88), Haddock, Thomas, Price, Lee, Meredith L (Peare 77), Bennett.

Star Man: Marley Thomas.