Match Report

This game was lost in the first 10 minutes. Although we didn’t actually realise that at the time. Unfortunately, that is the harsh fact of this encounter. We didn’t perform to our usual standards and Selsdon played longer ball football trying to bypass the heavy ground conditions.

Selsdon scored after three minutes, Milner mistimed a headed clearance and Selsdon finished from just inside the box, leaving Burkett with no chance. We were then awarded a penalty after Holmes was brought down in the area. Stevens stepped up but shot wide. Selsdon went up the other end and were awarded a corner, the ball wasn’t cleared and Farnborough stood and watched, as if hypnotised, Selsdon fired home from close range. 0-2 down, 10 minutes gone, Darren was not a happy manager.

Farnborough fought hard to get back in the game and Laurent was brought down in the area five minutes before half time, resulting in another penalty. Stevens slammed home the penalty after the referee ordered a re-take of the first effort which was saved by the keeper. 1-2 down at half time but we were back in the game.

We conceded goals at the wrong time today, that’s for sure. Five minutes into the second half and Selsdon broke through and got a third. Still, Farnborough battled their way back into the game. Wray crossed for Laurent whose header wasn’t cleared, it fell to Stevens inside the box and he drove the ball home.

There were still 15 minutes left, Stevens had a shot blocked, Keyworth was causing damage down the left flank and it looked like we might be able to unlock the Selsdon rearguard. But it didn’t happen for us, they had plenty of men behind the ball, even though they looked shaky at times. They broke away and scored their 4th goal with the last kick of the game.

We gave an average performance today and average is not good enough in a semi-final. We were well below the usual standards that we’ve set so far this season. There is much more ability in this team than was shown today, now we have to show it in every game until the end of the season. But after all, this was our first defeat in a competitive match this season, so we’ve done well. It’s hard to take a defeat in a semi-final but that’s life, it’s history now and on to the next game. We have to learn by the mistakes that we made today and get things out of our system by winning next week.

Well done lads, keep your heads up, it just wasn’t our day today. Let’s win the league instead.