BACKING BOROUGH TO WEMBLEY: Minnows feel hunger for Whitley Bay showdown - EXCLUSIVE

FA CARLSBERG Vase minnows Greenwich Borough have been given a huge incentive to knock out Hellenic League outfit Hungerford Town in Saturday’s fifth round replay at Harrow Meadow, writes Stephen McCartney.

Phil Miles’ heroes will face favourites Whitley Bay - FA Vase winners in May 2002 - in the quarter-finals of the competition on Saturday, 1^st March 2008 - if they finish off the job against the Crusaders.

Whitley Bay, currently second in the Arngrove Northern League, knocked out holders Truro City - a result that stunned the Cornwall club.

Two goals from Lee Kerr and a late Paul Chow effort saw the visitors from the north east cruise to the quarter-finals.

Truro City became the first Cornish side to grace the hallowed turf at Wembley when they swept to Vase glory in 2007, but Dave Leonard’s promotion-chasing side were undone by a brilliant display of attacking football from the visitors whose long trip back north will undoubtedly be more enjoyable for them.

Truro's Director of Football Chris Webb admits everyone at the club is devastated with the result.

“We are massively, massively disappointed,” Webb conceded, when interviewed on www.thefa.com.

“But full respect to Whitley, they hit us on the break with two late goals and fully deserve their place in the next round.

“Cornwall is traditionally a rugby county but we are trying to make football a bigger sport down here," he continued.

"Truro are well respected and we want to improve even more."

Truro sit top of the Toolstation Western Premier League and Webb hopes promotion can further improve the health of Cornish football.

“We want to make football the number one sport. Another Wembley appearance would have boosted everybody but unfortunately we have fallen short.”

Only seven of the players who started at Wembley last year lined up for Truro, as injuries and suspensions saw them field a weakened side.

“I could give you a list of excuses, but take nothing away from Whitley,” Webb conceded.

“Our boys gave 100 per cent but they were a strong, well-organised side and made life very difficult for us.”

But Kent Leaguers Greenwich Borough had Cray Wanderers’ target, attacking midfielder Peter Smith to thank for keeping them in the competition.

Hungerford had taken a seventeenth minute lead at Bulpit Lane through a Charlie Austin header from four-yards, which found the top-left hand corner, following Jamie Gosling’s cross from the left.

But Smith drilled a right-footed free-kick past Dominic Green from 23-yards to bring Borough level after 50 minutes.

Borough’s leading scorer, Badar Mohammed, who worked tirelessly for the entire 120 minutes, hooked a half-volley against the underside of the crossbar soon after, and Hungerford’s 31-goal hit-man Ian Concannon also suffered the same fate.

But Graham Edney’s eleventh goal of the season, with 12 minutes remaining, was worthy to win any game of football, unleashing a right-footed angled screamer from 25-yards, which flew across Borough goalkeeper Michael Holder and into the top far corner.

Hungerford, however, were stunned as they had victory taken away from them in the most dramatic of fashion.

There was only going to be three additional minutes to be added on - but Smith headed home the dramatic leveller four minutes and 12 seconds into stoppage time - and 72 seconds from the final whistle.

Winger Chris Hubbard sent over a pin-point cross for Smith to send a bullet header into the top left-hand corner from eight-yards to take his goalscoring tally to seventeen for the season.

Borough had goalkeeper Michael Holder to thank for keeping the scores level inside the second period of stoppage time, tipping over Ben Fitch’s header.

Borough know they must take advantage of their home comforts at their humble Harrow Meadow ground at Eltham Green Road, Eltham, to get past Hungerford, when the two sides lock horns again on Saturday.

“It’s a home draw and that’s all you can ask for but we must concentrate on getting past Hungerford first,” said assistant manager Terry Malin, when speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk this morning.

He added: “Then we can think about Whitley Bay after that.”

And Miles admits entertaining Whitley Bay would be a very high-profile fixture for the club.

He said: “Obviously it’s the toughest draw, Whitley Bay are favourites to win it.

“If we can get through on Saturday, then it gives us something to go for.

“Being drawn at home will be an added incentive for both teams, but we need to beat Hungerford first.”

FA Carlsberg Vase Fifth Round Replay's
Saturday 16^th February 2008

Greenwich Borough v Hungerford Town
(www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this match)

Needham Market v St Ives Town

FA Carlsberg Vase Quarter-Final Draw
Saturday 1^st March 2008

Concord Rangers v Lowestoft Town

Kirkham & Wesham v Coventry Sphinx

Hungerford Town or Greenwich Borough v Whitley Bay

Merstham v St Ives Town or Needham Market

www.thefa.com