East Riding Senior Cup
Danny Norton and Archie Brown link up well during Hall Road’s Cup tie with Hanson’s Jewellers. Picture: Lee Myers
Hall Road Rangers survived a major scare in the East Riding Senior Cup tie with Humber Premier League side Hanson Jewellers.
Rangers went 2-0 down against the Jewellers before an inevitable fight-back. Rangers went onto win 3-0 on penalties to book their semi-finals place for the second year in a row.
After 38 minutes, the visitors found themselves two goals behind. Jewellers striker Lou Overton bagged a first half brace and the underdogs, for a short time, had a shock result in sight.
But goals from Jake Vernon and Joe Cooper either side of half-time brought the scores level. Hall Road took control of the game in the closing stages and dominated possession in extra-time, but couldn’t find that clinical edge to prevent a shootout.
The Jewellers however missed all three penalties ensuring that Rangers would make another semi-final. Coming into the game, Hall Road would have been considered big favourites.
However, things started badly for Rangers, with Overton scoring for the hosts after just five minutes, with reserve keeper Thiabault Granger unable to stop the powerful shot from close range.
Clear cut chances came at a premium in the first 30 minutes, but a long range shot from Connor Harmen on the half-hour mark looked to have brought Rangers level, but just drifted wide of the post.
Rangers then had a huge penalty shout turned down by the referee, with striker Josh Batty being pushed in the back by the Hanson defender. The official waved the protests away however.
The visitors began to get more of a foothold in the game, with a great chance for Jamie Reeson flying over the bar before a huge sucker punch; Hanson Jewellers raced down the other end of the field, and Overton beat Granger at the near post to double their lead.
Dave Ricardo’s side didn’t let this two goal advantage last long though, as less than four minutes later, Vernon responded and fired a shot home past the Jewellers keeper on the edge of the six-yard box.
The score stood at 2-1 as the sides returned to the dressing room at half-time. Rangers started the second-half the better side; a brilliant cross from Batty looked certain to be turned home, but nobody could get a head on the ball as it travelled across the face of goal.
Against the run of play, Overton had a chance to complete his hat-trick and possibly take the tie beyond Hall Road. His chip over Granger went just wide of the post. Possession and pressure from the visitors finally paid off, as Cooper headed home to level the cup tie on the 73-minute mark.
At 2-2, Rangers looked in the better position to go on and win the match, and they almost did just a minute after the goal. Substitute Chris Spinks got around goalkeeper Mat Alty, but couldn’t find space among the Jewellers defenders to get a shot away. Batty had a chance to win the game just three minutes from time, but his curling effort from the edge of the box rattled the crossbar, meaning the game would head into extra-time.
Hall Road continued to dominate the possession in the first-half of extra-time, but several top saves from Alty again stopped the visitors taking the lead for the first time in the game.
Norton had the best opportunity, with his effort tipped onto the bar. The second-half of extra-time saw Hanson continue to hold out; Hall Road had the ball in the net through Spinks but the goal was ruled out as offside, and Batty had yet another effort tipped onto the post.
The scores would remain level seeing the match head to a shootout. James Wittingham, who was undoubtedly a contender for man of the match, came up first and calmly fired into the bottom right hand corner. Hanson’s first penalty would hit the post, giving Rangers an early advantage. Norton then stepped up; although Alty got a hand to the ball, he couldn’t prevent the powerful shot hitting the back of the net.
Granger then saved the next penalty to give Rangers a 2-0 lead in the shootout, with victory now in sight. Leading scorer Spinks scored his penalty, meaning the Hanson Jewellers must score their next to remain in the shootout. But, the effort was ballooned over the bar.
The win means Hall Road Rangers will face the Hull City Development Squad in the semi-finals.
Second half goals from Harry Fox and Andy Norfolk gave holders Bridlington Town a 2-0 win over Dunnington in the other quarter-finals tie.