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Blues go through after extra time win

Mile Oak Reserves 3 - 4 Sidley United (AET) - Sussex FA Intermediate Cup Fourth Round

Sidley United made it through to the Quarter Finals of the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup thanks to an extra time win, despite finishing with 9 men.

It had looked plain sailing as they took control of the match early on with Sean Baldwin's cool low finish in the 20th minute putting them ahead before he unselfishly squared for Jordan Uttley to roll the ball into an unguarded net to double the Blues lead after 29 minutes.

But perhaps feeling the game was won, such was their comfort, Sidley just didn't turn up in the second half and seemed to drop far too deep. 

Despite a lot of home pressure though they rarely troubled Blues goalkeeper Joe Rogers until the referee blew to award a penalty for an apparent shirt pull in the area, booking Gary Hempe in the process for dissent as much as a foul. The Mile Oak player struck the penalty away low to Rogers' right on 66 minutes. 

Sidley still had chances to clinch the game but both Baldwin and Uttley fluffed one on one chances and that looked to be costly when after an inexplicable 9 minutes of injury time, Oak equalised with a header right at the end which took a nick off Chris Copley on the way in and forced extra time.

Blues went back in front 3 minutes into the extra period as Baldwin deftly lobbed the onrushing goalkeeper but Hempe was shown a second yellow card soon after for bringing down his man.

The game seemed settled when James Bailey coolly lobbed the goalkeeper on 110 minutes but after Jordan Cole picked up an injury and had to go off, 9 man Sidley conceded again with a strike from the edge of the area flying into the top corner with 2 minutes to go. 

But this time Sidley held on to finish their fixtures for the year with a 5th straight win and set up a home tie against Angmering Seniors in the Quarter Finals. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Hempe, Elphick (Day), Cole, Copley, Elliott-Noye, Wells, Scrace, Garman, Uttley (Bailey), Baldwin. 

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