Stansfeld O&B Club 1
Metrogas 3 (AET)
Two extra-time goals condemned ten man Stansfeld to defeat in a controversial semi-final of the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield on Saturday.
A hotly contested late equaliser scored by Kent County Premier League leaders Metrogas took the game to an extra 30 minutes, but Stansfeld keeper James Bradley also got his marching orders for a second yellow card in the same incident as the home side remonstrated with the decision.
Decisions did go the way of Stansfeld all day and on 20 minutes the visitors were awarded a dubious spot kick. Bradley, who is also captain of the Southwark side, got his first yellow for his protests from that decision but he went back to his line and pulled off a fine save to maintain parity.
This seemed to spur a sluggish Stansfeld into life and they started to get on top in the game. The next controversial moment came when Nick Curran’s nasty two footed lunge on Mickey Smith was only punished with a few words from the officials, who felt happy to brandish yellow cards to Stansfeld’s Sam Ryan and Smith for far more menial offences.
The Southwark sides superiority eventually paid dividends after 35 minutes, Metrogas keeper Dan Edwards misjudged a high free kick into the box and his spilled catch was gleefully passed into an empty net by Stansfeld’s leading scorer Billy Shinners.
Stansfeld had the ball in the net again five minutes later when centre back Tony Dakin out jumped his marker to head home. But his effort was ruled out for offside.
The Bermondsey outfit could have put the game to bed on 75 minutes when Shinners was put clean through, but somehow he managed to put the ball the wrong side of the post with Metrogas stopper already on the floor and the goal at his mercy.
As the game entered the final 10 minutes the biggest controversy of the game occurred.
Bradley was fouled by Metrogas striker Gary Gorman as he tried to catch a loose ball.
His spilled catch was volleyed into an empty net by Metrogas’s Dean Heather.
Amazingly the referee saw nothing wrong with Gorman’s challenge and awarded the goal. The decision sparked uproar amongst both sets of players.
When things had calmed down the yellow cards were issued to Gorman and Bradley, resulting in the latter’s exit from proceedings. Tony Dakin took up the keepers duties but extra time was always going to be a tough ask for the ten men of Stansfeld.
Following the sending off the visitors got the upper hand and took the lead eight minutes into extra time when Gorman fired a shot past Dakin. The game was over as a contest five minutes from time when the early villain of the piece Curran netted.
