Shootout defeat for Spitfires

EASTLEIGH 1-1 (aet) CHIPPENHAM TOWN

Chippenham win 8-7 on penalties

TUESDAY 29^th NOVEMBER 2011

FA Trophy 3^rd Qualifying Round Replay

EASTLEIGH - Jack Dovey, Andy Forbes, Michael Green, Ian Herring, Tom Jordan (c), Ross Bottomley, Richard Gillespie (Jordace Holder-Spooner 64), Danny Smith, Jamie Brown, Chris Flood (Andrew White 71), Graeme Montgomery. Subs (not used): Gareth Barfoot, Billy Tsovolos, Liam Hibberd.

Goals: Eastleigh – Jamie Brown (11). Chippenham – Alan Griffin (2).

Attendance – 214

Eastleigh made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Hardenhuish Park on Saturday in this FA Trophy 3^rd Qualifying Round replay. Jamie Brown and Richard Gillespie, who scored at the weekend to force the tie into tonight’s replay, came into the side in place of Jamie Slabber and Andrew White. Slabber missed tonight’s game due to a back injury.

After a well observed minutes silence for Welsh legend Gary Speed, whose tragic passing on Sunday shocked the footballing world, the action begun at the Silverlake Stadium.

The Spitfires got off to the worst possible start however, when ALAN GRIFFIN had the freedom of the Eastleigh penalty area to get a shot away in the second minute. The Chippenham forward’s initial attempt was saved by on-loan Southampton goalkeeper Jack Dovey, but Griffin followed up to find the net pouncing on the loose ball.

JAMIE BROWN hit back for Eastleigh with a reply in the 11^th minute. Brown had sliced a shot narrowly wide just a moment before, when Richard Gillespie held the ball up well for the target man. This time, Brown made no mistake as he latched on to Danny Smith’s clever flick into the box to slip a low shot past Will Puddy for the equalising goal.

Ian Herring and Danny Smith both came close for the Spitfires before the visitors’ Scott Lye forced Jack Dovey into a save in the 18^th minute.

Graeme Montgomery then had a great chance to put Eastleigh ahead when played through on goal but took the shot on too early and fired harmlessly over the bar. Soon after, Chris Flood - who last week joined the club on a permanent deal from Dorchester Town, saw his well-executed free kick fly just an inch or two over the target.

Eastleigh continued to press and could have scored in the 26^th minute when the ball fell kindly for Jamie Brown, six-yards from goal, but Brown lost track of the ball when he was turning around!

The game then became a little scrappy and disjointed for a period before picking up again towards the end of the first half when both teams finished with an effort apiece on goal.

Firstly Richard Gillespie cut in from the right and worked the ball to the far side to find Michael Green, who in turn drove a low shot narrowly wide of the target.

Then four minutes before the break, Andy Sandell looked to have beaten Dovey with a looping header but the Eastleigh keeper recovered well to make the save.

HALF TIME: Eastleigh 1-1 Chippenham

Danny Smith had a header saved in the 47^th minute at the start of the second half from a Graeme Montgomery corner kick.

Ian Baird’s side continued on the front foot when Michael Green burst forward from left back with a positive run into the opposition penalty area only to see his shot saved by Will Puddy.

Three minutes shy of the hour mark, Montgomery had a goal bound effort blocked before Chris Flood made a strong run at the heart of the Chippenham defence to get a shot away that was equally matched by the visiting goalkeeper.

The introduction of Jordace Holder-Spooner looked to liven things up in attack for the hosts with his electric pace, but despite Eastleigh controlling possession for the most part, they couldn’t find the breakthrough they were looking for against a stubborn Chippenham side.

Holder-Spooner had an effort kept out by Puddy, whilst at the opposite end Lewis Powell had a good sight at goal when played through by his strike partner Alan Griffin to force Jack Dovey into making a save.

As the half wore on Eastleigh forced a couple of corner kicks but failed to really penetrate or create any clear cut openings. Andy Sandell had a good chance for the visitors on the counter attack but delayed his shot and was eventually crowded out by Eastleigh’s defence.

The last of the action in the normal 90 minutes saw the lively Holder-Spooner cross from the right to find Montgomery, who couldn’t direct his header goal wards.

With the scores level at 1-1, extra time was needed to try and find a winner in this tie.

FULL TIME: Eastleigh 1-1 Chippenham

The winning side would face Weymouth in the First Round Proper after the Terras defeated Havant & Waterlooville by two goals to nil at Westleigh Park.

Eastleigh had the better chances to score in extra time, with Jamie Brown’s snapshot and Graeme Montgomery’s rasping 25-yard effort having to be tipped over the bar, working the Chippenham goalkeeper hard.

In the second half of extra time, Jack Dovey made a good save again to keep out Alan Griffin before former Eastleigh fringe player Toby Osman was shown a red card for a lunging tackle on Danny Smith.

After 120 minutes of football, there was still no separating these sides, so the tie had to be settled with a dreaded penalty shootout.

The shootout couldn’t have started any better for Eastleigh when Jack Dovey made an excellent save to keep out Chippenham’s first attempt from Ross Stearn.

Eastleigh held the advantage 3-2 over the next few kicks with Danny Smith, Ian Herring and Jamie Brown all finding the back of the net from 12-yards to make it three out of three for the Spitfires.

Jack Pitcher levelled things up, albeit with Chippenham having had four penalties and already missing one, when Montgomery stepped up and lifted his spot kick well over the bar.

Lewis Powell scored Chippenham’s next penalty to hand them the advantage meaning Andrew White had a pressure penalty to keep Eastleigh in the game, which he did to force sudden death.

The scores were neck and neck with Andy Forbes, Jordace Holder-Spooner and Tom Jordan all scoring for Eastleigh with Chippenham also scoring three to make it 7-7.

Ian Harvey put Chippenham 8-7 ahead and the shoot out ended in heartache for the Spitfires when Michael Green’s penalty was saved by Will Puddy.

Penalties:

0-0 - Chippenham – Ross Stearn (Saved by Dovey)

1-0 to Eastleigh – Danny Smith

1-1 - Chippenham – Alan Griffin

2-1 to Eastleigh – Ian Herring

2-2 - Chippenham – James Guthrie

3-2 to Eastleigh – Jamie Brown

3-3 - Chippenham – Jack Pitcher

3-3 - Eastleigh – Graeme Montgomery (Miss – over the bar)

4-3 to Chippenham – Lewis Powell

4-4 - Eastleigh – Andrew White.

Sudden Death

5-4 to Chippenham - Ashley Williams

5-5 - Eastleigh – Andy Forbes

6-5 to Chippenham – Nathan Rudge

6-6 - Eastleigh – Jordace Holder-Spooner

7-6 to Chippenham – Steve Casey

7-7 - Eastleigh – Tom Jordan

8-7 to Chippenham – Ian Harvey

8-7 to Chippenham – Michael Green (Saved by Will Puddy).

Chippenham win 8-7 on penalties.

Chippenham - 291111