Old Elizabethans II — Sat 29 Sep 2007

Match report

Half time: 4 – 0

FC Samba travelled to Mansfield side, Old Elizabethans Res in the 1st Rd of the Nottinghamshire FA Cup. Old Elizabethans of the Midland Amateur Alliance were an unknown quantity to Samba who were full of confidence after an 100% start to their league campaign. Sharp returned to centre back replacing Clifford in what was otherwise an unchanged line up. Samba were late arriving at the ground and it showed in the opening minutes as the home side fashioned the first chance. A ball into the channel down Old Elizabethans right led to a cross being pulled back for the on-going OE midfielder but his shot went over the bar, when he should have scored. It was Samba who had the ball in the net first however, with Gaz Taylor climbing highest to nod the ball in, but unfortunately the goal was chalked off for an alleged infringement on the goalkeeper. Samba were denied again by the referee when he waved away Samba appeals for a penalty after a push on Hill in the box. However, you could sense the tide was turning and that Samba’s game had increased in intensity. The opening goal was not long in coming, when Francis ran onto a Hill header in midfield and from the inside left channel, shot underneath the keeper for 1-0. Samba were completely on top now and the second goal was delivered by Taylor when he picked the ball up on the right side of the box and shot into the top left hand corner. Taylor doubled his money a few moments later when Francis’s cross to the far post was cushioned by Lucas into the path of the big striker and he collected his second goal of the game. Hill made if four from a Wilford corner, simply rising highest to nod home and give Samba an emphatic but deserved 4-0 lead at half time.

At half time all the talk was about keeping the momentum going, as Samba had hunted in packs and had simply overpowered the opposition in the first half. The second half began and it was only a few minutes before the scoring resumed. OE cleared a Samba corner as far as Bassett, who punted the ball back to the edge of the box towards Gibbons’ who had been left by the defenders. Gibbons’ close control training routines played dividends as he headed the ball into the air, before finishing with aplomb into the bottom left corner, with what was an excellently crafted finish. Just a few minutes later Lucas sliced the OE defence open once more for Gibbons to run on and put the ball in the same place as his previous finish to complete six of the best for Samba. OE grabbed a consolation goal when a cross to the back post evaded everyone in a Samba shirt and OE man scrambled the ball under Ballard. The scoring did not cease there though, with Gibbons completing his hatrick after substitute Loach had raced away down the left channel and saw his shot parried by the keeper, but only straight into the path of Gibbons for 7-1. The scoring was complete when Loach powered home a deserved goal, beating the keeper on his near post. In truth after the early scare it had been an easy game for Samba but their performance had been of the highest order and they marched into the second round of the cup in style. Man of Match: Gaz Taylor