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Game DetailsReturn To Game Schedule| Location | The Playing Field |
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| Date | Aug 27, 2011 |
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| Time | 3:00 pm |
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| Type | Spartan South Midlands Trophy |
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| Game Notes | A much changed Borough side finally came good with four minutes left on the clock after being behind for three quarters of the match. Although playing away to a team two Divisions below them Borough were initially pushed onto the defensive by a side understandably keen to make a name for themselves with a “giant killing†and Mursley had gone close before they took the lead in the 18th minute when a cross from the left reached Kevin Goodluck unmarked at the far post to stoop and nod home a close range header. Borough looked strong up front with Richard Worrell testing home custodian Adam Garratt who had a fine game and was a formidable barrier throughout. Mursley had a let off when a defender brought down Mario Georgiou who was clean through on goal on the very edge of the penalty area and the offender must have been very relieved only to see a yellow card being produced. The free kick was blasted into the wall and came to nothing. After the interval Borough took charge of the game with Anton Vitalis pulling the strings in midfield and spraying many fine passes to his left and right leading to a significant number of shots and goalmouth incidents but Garratt continued his defiance and was ably assisted by a determined back four who blocked several dangerous efforts and put in many vital last ditch interceptions. Darrell Cox was holding the ball up well and supplying his colleagues with many well weighted passes but although opportunity followed opportunity Borough could never quite find the killer touch. Matters were not helped when Richard Worrell already booked in the first half unwisely showed dissent some ten minutes from the end and a red card was the inevitable outcome. The hosts were visibly tiring by now and Borough maintained the pressure with their numerical disadvantage making no discernible difference and finally got their reward when debut making substitute Anthony Christian was in the right place in the centre of the goal mouth to sweep home a low cross from Cox who had forced his way in from the right. Little had been seen of Mursley as an attacking force in the second half and Borough ‘keeper Tom How dealt comfortably enough with everything which came his way. Borough totally dominated the opening period of extra time playing controlled possession football to deny their wearied opponents the chance to create any danger. After only five minutes Cox tucked the ball home at the end of a flowing move to put Borough in the lead. Andreas Loizou caused havoc for the home defence with a number of storming runs down the left and debut making Cedric Lakole did likewise on the other flank. Five minutes before the interval Cox and Christian interchanged passes to slice through the middle of the defence and Christian sent a powerful accurate drive swerving past Garratt’s dive and into the top corner. Borough continued in much the same vein at the start of the second period but became too complacent and Mursley seized the opportunity to threaten, forcing two corners which were none too comfortably dealt with and wasting a golden opportunity to set up a nervous finale with a close range header directed inches over. Christian had twice been denied by Garratt in one-on-one opportunites but in the 118th minute Vitalis directed a perfect 40 yard diagonal ball from the left into his path and this time having sprung the off-side trap he took the ball round Garratt to fire his hat-trick goal into the empty net. There was just time for Mursley’s Alex Collard to net a consolation in the closing seconds which was the goal of the match as he unleashed a rocket of a shot from some 35 yards as Borough’s defence backed off and all could immediately sense that it was destined for the top right hand corner of How’s goal with the ‘keeper having no hope of reaching it. The win will see Borough visit either Harefield United or Kings Langley in the second Round.
Borough squad:- Tom How, Ian Steele, Andreas Loizou, Anton Vitalis,
Daniel Walker, Cedric Lakole, Ben Butler, Constantinos Georgiou,
Richard Worrell, Darrell Cox, Mario Georgiou
Used substitutes:- Edmund Arthur, Anthony Christian, Hayden Edwards
Unused:- Ryohei Tamai (GK)
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