Rooks FA Cup run arrested by Met Police – Lewes Community Football Club

Rooks FA Cup run arrested by Met Police


Rooks FA Cup run arrested by Met Police

Men's football news

A below-par first-half performance saw Lewes crash out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle at the Pan with a 2-1 defeat to Met Police reports Tom Harper.

Tony Russell made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Horsham on Bank Holiday Monday, with Ayo Olukoga, Freddie Parker and the suspended Killian Colombie being replaced in the starting line-up by Kenneth Yao, Karl Dent and debutant Taylor Maloney.

The visitors started brightly and saw Liam Ferdinand draw a smart save from Lewis Carey in the opening stages.

The lively start to the game continued, as Joe Taylor latched onto a long ball from Mitchell Nelson but saw his effort comfortably saved by Liam Beach.

Met Police took control of the game at this point and should have taken the lead, with Carey making a superb save to keep out a Jack Mazzone effort from point-blank range before a combination of Carey and Nelson helped the loose ball over the bar.

From the resulting corner taken by Ollie Knight, Ollie Robinson saw his glancing header clip the top of the bar on its way over.

The visitors scored the goal their impressive start to the game deserved on 19 minutes, as good play down the right ended with William Wickham crossing for the unmarked Mazzone to finish at the far post.

Mazzone nearly doubled his and Met Police’s tally minutes later, but sent his acrobatic volley from a Knight cross over the bar.

The visitors did make it 2-0 on 28 minutes, as Ferdinand turned sharply on the edge of the area before sending an impressive strike past Carey and into the bottom corner.

Lewes were struggling to build any kind of momentum but came close to pulling a goal back just before the break, as Maloney saw his 20-yard free-kick helped onto the bar by Beach.

The Rooks saw plenty of the ball during the opening stages of the second half and nearly halved the deficit through Nelson, whose header from a Dent corner was kept out by Beach before the loose ball was scrambled clear from inside the six-yard box.

Met Police were managing the game well in the main and should arguably have sealed the win midway through the half, as an incisive counter-attack ended with Knight dragging his effort just wide of the far post.

Lewes were handed a lifeline on 72 minutes, as substitute Iffy Allen was tripped in the area by Wickham.

Taylor converted the penalty, sending Beach the wrong way from the spot to bring the Rooks back into the game.

Unfortunately for Lewes, the visitors saw out the closing stages comfortably to progress to the second qualifying round and leave the Rooks to focus on their league campaign.

You can watch highlights from the game here thanks to Your Instant Replay.

Today’s Progcast can be read here.

Lewes welcome Enfield Town to the Pan in the league next Saturday, kick-off at 3pm.

Lewes: Carey, Yao, Carlse, Nelson, Weaire, Maloney, Klass (Pritchard 51), Dent (Parker 65), Tanner (Allen 46), De-Graft, Taylor.

Unused Subs: Hall, Olukoga, D’Arienzo, Richards.

Booked: Weaire.

Metropolitan Police: Beach, Wickham, Fisher, Robinson, Tanner, Allen, O. Knight, Robertson, Mazzone (Birch 66), Ferdinand (J. Knight 85), De St Croix.

Unused Subs: Taylor, Vincent, Chislett, Keeya, West.

Booked: Wickham.

Attendance: 528