Bearsted are through to the next round of the FA Trophy and still on the road to Wembley but Tooting gave them al almighty scare and can count themselves unlucky to lose.
They might have been a league below but as a neutral you would not have known as they showed that if they carry on like today’s performance it could be a good season for them while Bearsted carry on and it could end up a great season for them.
Manager Kevin Stevens had to use a few of his Under Twenty Three players as he had eight players missing but no excuse’s came from him before the game started.
In a league below Tooting came out on fire and dominated straight away with their pressing game and in the sixth minute Nile Waite was in on goal but his shot from close range was saved by Lucas Brockman’s legs and then three minutes later Waite on the left passé sideways for George Bunjan and his twenty yard shot went just over the bar.
In the eleventh minute they took the lead when a ball played into Buruk Tedros in the area saw him twist and turn before shooting past Brockman. This stunned Bearsted but for tooting it was well deserved.
They kept up the pressing game and were in control but in the twenty third minute against the run of play Bearsted got the equaliser when a long diagonal ball to the right found Rueben Jones who controlled it and his low cross into the area found Aiden Clark who controlled it and shot into the bottom left hand corner giving Dominic Oaks no chance.
The rest of the half saw both sides try for goal but defences held firm and the final half chance of the half came in the forty fifth minute when Nathan Light collected a loose ball and from twenty yards saw his shot go just over the bar.
Half time arrived and for Stevens it came at the right time while James Parsons would have been proud of his team’s efforts and hope they could carry on for the second half.
The second half took a while to get going but in the fifty second minute Tooting took the lead again when a cross into the area saw Eddie Mbango beat Brockman to it and head into an empty net.
The lead only lasted two minutes when Jake Embery running into the area was fouled by Sonny Harnett-Balkwill and a penalty was given, up stepped Embery who shot into the bottom left hand corner. Seven minutes later Embery on the run passed into the feet of Clark and his first time shot from fifteen yards was saved by Oaks.
In the sixty seventh minute Bearsted could and maybe should have taken the lead when Ashton Mitford on the right wing saw his low cross find Embery and from six yards out his attempted chip was saved by Oaks.
In the seventy eighth minute Light running forward put Embery in on the right and from an acute angle his shot went into the side netting and then a minute later Mbango twenty five yards out saw his curling effort tipped over the bar by Brockman.
The game was destined for penalties but just before the final whistle Jones made a bad tackle and most of the players jumped in pushing and shoving and once it had stopped the Referee booked Jones and Joe Martin and then sent off Phil Headley for dissent although this did not change the result of the game as the full time whistle went and a penalty shootout was to be taken.
Tooting went first: Bearsted
Munas Efilatsion scored low right hand corner Nathan Light saved
Jordan Williams saved Jake Embery scored low right hand corner
Dan Farrow scored middle right Reuban Jones scored low left hand corner
George Bunjan saved Jarrod Trespaderne scored right hand corner
Eddie Mbango scored top right hand corner Sam Stace scored low right hand corner
Bearsted:
- L.Brockman 2. R.Jones 3. P.Headley 4. S.Stace 5. R.Blake 6. D.Keyte 7. M.Hagen (30)
8. A.Clark (90+4) 9. J.Embery 10. N.Light 11. R.Jimoh (70)
Subs Used: 15. A.Mitford (30) 16. M.Boruk (70) 17. J.Trespaderne (90+4)
Subs Not Used: 12. C.Lee 14. T.Green
Bookings: 15. A.Mitford (66) 6. D.Keyte (90+6) 2. R.Jones (90+8)
Sent Off: 3. P.Headley (90+9)
Tooting Bec:
- D.Oaks 2. K.James 3. J.Williams 4. M.Efilatsion 5. S.Harnett- Balkwell 6. D.Farrow 7. A.Ogbanufe (86)
8. G.Bunjan 8. E.Mbango 10. B.Tedeos (70) 11. N.Waite (70)
Subs Used: 14. E.Collett (70) 15. J.Martin (70) 16. J.Munoz (86)
Subs Not Used: 12. A.Taylor-Ramara 17. S.Gaultier
Bookings: 5. S.Harnett- Balkwell (54) 15. J.Martin (90+8)
Referee: Mr J.Perry
Assistants: Mr S.Dadds & Mr A.Mortimer
Att: 77