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Rocester moved into the Quarter Finals of the Polymac League Cup following a hard-fought win at Oadby Town on Tuesday evening.
The Romans opened brightly and had already forced a couple of corners before James Curley got in behind the home defence to open the scoring after just eight minutes.
However the Leicester side came back strongly with their big centre forward Jouel Potter giving the Romans a tough time at the back. Richard Froggatt left his line quickly to block the striker’s 14th minute effort, and soon afterwards Potter really should have equalised when he found his way through again, but he flicked his shot past both Froggatt and the far right post.
Rocester always looked capable of creating something going forward, but it was Potter who was presented with another great chances to level things up just before the half hour mark when he collected Froggatt’s poor clearance and then watched his low drive glance off the goalkeeper and clear the bar.
Froggatt’s personal battle with Potter continued when he made a fine one-handed save to keep out another stinging shot before the 38th minute sending off of Oadby’s central defender Lee Westley turned the tide back towards Rocester.
Westley received a straight red card following an off-the-ball head-butting incident that left midfielder James Curley grounded in the centre circle, and the half ended with Rocester back in the ascendancy and pushing forward.
The Romans looked comfortable for twenty minutes or so after the break and could have increased their lead when Ashley Sheridan’s pass sent Curley into the area only for him to slide his shot inches wide of the far post, but just moments later there was a narrow escape at the other end when Adam Robinson covered brilliantly to hook a Jordan Holmes effort off the line with Froggatt beaten.
With just seconds of normal time remaining Oadby pushed players forward for one last throw of the dice, and when a long punt upfield fell to Holmes on the left of the penalty area he cut inside and steered the ball inside the far post to force thirty minutes of extra time.
Oadby’s ten men probably deserved that much, but their efforts came to nothing after Curley netted what proved to be the winning goal just three minutes into the extra period. Substitute Dean Watkiss played his part in the goal with a neat turn inside his marker before he slipped the ball square to Curley, who in turn cleverly side-stepped his opponent before picking his spot past goalkeeper Scott Hangley. |