FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round replay

Farnborough 6 Braintree Town 2

A dazzling display of clinical finishing saw Farnborough romp into the first round proper of the FA Trophy after an extraordinary clash at Cherrywood Road.

For 70 minutes, Boro were second best as the visitors Braintree Town dominated proceedings. Twice the Blue Square South outfit led the game, but everything suddenly clicked for Francis Vines’ men, and they blitzed their shell-shocked opponents with five goals in the last 20 minutes to set up a home tie with Wingate & Finchley in the next round.

At half time, victory looked unlikely for Boro, after The Iron controlled the match for long periods and deservedly led at the break. Braintree had worked extremely hard on and off the ball, looking quicker and stronger and stifling Boro into playing too many aimless long balls.

It was no surprise when they took the lead, but after half time Boro did start with slightly more purpose. Even so, they needed a bizarre own goal from Leo Roget to bring them level, and parity only lasted for ten minutes before the Braintree goalscorer from Saturday’s meeting, James Hawes, struck again.

But five minutes later the crazy ending to the game was kicked off by Dave Woozley’s thumping header, and moments after that former Farnborough Town ‘keeper Craig Holloway was picking the ball out of his net again when Darren Wheeler’s superb freekick was just too good.

Suddenly ahead for the first time, Boro were brimming with confidence and the visitors simply fell apart as first Mark Gamble, and then Marcus Richardson, twice, scored superb individual goals to wrap up an extraordinary victory.

It was a game that left everyone watching on breathless, and Vines was a happy manager, although, as ever, he was disappointed with his side conceding twice on their own ground.

“The finishing was absolutely key today,” he said. “All season we haven’t scored as many as we should have, taking a chance maybe one every eight. But today the boys took their chances.

“They have all performed really well today and I’m over the moon for them. They warmed up really well but after that first half they came in at half time like someone had just nicked all their money.

“But they went out after the break and dusted themselves down. They were still a bit impatient to get forward at times, but they played really well.

“Of course I'm surprised that it was 6-2 at the end, but it just shows the character of the side to come back twice, and once they got their tails up they were relentless.”

He added: “I’m a little bit disappointed that we conceded two goals, as pleased as I am that we scored six. We pride ourselves on being decent defensively.”

Boro started slowly and it was Braintree who made all the early running, with the game following the same route as Saturday’s clash at Cressing Road. Braintree, if anything, seemed even sharper than three days before, with the return of Louis Riddle and top scorer Sean Marks in attack.

They deserved to take the lead through Marks, and Boro had rarely threatened in the first period. Their passing was poor at times and the long ball game was never likely to be effective with Gamble and Michael Charles up front.

At half time it was hard to see where a comeback could emerge from, but on Saturday Boro had been second best before half time and far superior after it. That proved to be the case at Cherrywood Road, and Vines insisted the most important thing was that his side didn’t lose their heads as they searched for a way back.

“We spoke at half time and said there was no need to panic,” he said. “Braintree worked very hard to chase us down and we knew they wouldn’t be able to keep that up for 90 minutes.

“They forced us to hit a lot of long balls onto their centre halves, who dealt with them, rather than getting it in behind them or into the channels, which is our strength.

“But we did that better in the second half. From 70 minutes on, we were picking the right pass and opening them up.”

Adam Doyle returned to partner Woozley at the back in the only Boro change, replacing Nick Burton, and it seemed the youngster would have his work cut out as The Iron took charge from the off.

They got forward quickly with pace and strength of Riddle causing problems and Marks looking dangerous when he got in the penalty area. For all their pressure though, Braintree didn’t carve out a clear opening, and it was Gamble who had the first real sight of goal, when he sliced a left-footed effort wide.

But that effort was Boro’s only real threat on goal, and after Chris Piper’s strike deflected just wide of Lyall Beazley’s post, the visitors took the lead on 37 minutes. Piper whipped in a low cross, and as the ball bounced around in the box, Marks smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

That hardly woke Boro up, and they could have been further behind when Hawes volleyed over from close range and Piper blazed a shot wide.

But Boro were brighter after the break and after six minutes they were gifted an equaliser. Wheeler curled in a deep corner and Roget put past his own keeper with a flying header into the top corner.

But even that goal didn’t get Boro firing, and ten minutes later they were behind once more. Riddle’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Woozley, but from the resulting corner Hawes arrived to breach the Boro defences again.

Vines acted decisively after that, going three up front with the introduction of Richardson, and seconds after his arrival, Boro were level again. Another Wheeler corner, and this time Woozley leapt highest to thump his header past Holloway.

That goal did have the desired effect, and incredibly, after 76 minutes, Boro took the lead. Wheeler, who an indifferent game in open play, was the supplier again, this time whipping his freekick over the wall and in off a combination of bar and keeper for 3-2.

Boro were suddenly full of belief and four minutes later it was game over when Gamble danced past Joe Bruce and finished calmly past the onrushing Holloway.

All that was left was for Richardson to put the gloss on the win with a superb brace. First, in the 88th minute he burst past Bruce, drove into the penalty area, rounded Holloway and then cut the ball back past the man on the line in the most accomplished style.

A minute later he was at it again. He powered past Bruce again, who had clearly had enough by now, and tucked the ball home off the post to cap a fine win and another impressive cameo from the big striker. “I’m delighted with Marcus, really pleased for him,” Vines said. “Maybe I put him under too much pressure at times. I expect so much.

“He is a big centre forward just like I was as a player, so I expect him to be awkward and hard to play against. The second goal today showed exactly what he can do. He knocked it past the defender and brushed him aside like a little schoolboy.

“Marcus is pushing for a start, but to take the shirt of the two frontmen right now you have to be playing exceptionally well. What it does say to me is that if they stop performing, then I know that I can bring Marcus in.”

Boro can now look forward to a home tie that gives them a real chance to progress against Ryman Division One North side Wingate & Finchley on December 13, but the more pressing matter is tomorrow’s (Saturday) trip to Hitchin Town in the BGB Southern Premier.

The Canaries are currently down in 20th place in the table, after losing three and drawing two of the last five games, so on form at least, Boro’s visit to Top Field should be a bountiful one.

Overall they have won just three times in the league this season, and none of those victories have been on their own patch. Coupled with Boro’s unbeaten start on their travels this season, Vines’ men have every chance of maintaining their advantage at the top.

Boro: Beazley 6, Ray 7, Oliver 6 (Richardson 69 8), WOOZLEY 8, Doyle 7, Laidler 7, Scott 6, Barima 6, Wheeler 7 (Ciardini 84 6), Gamble 8, Charles 7 (Harkness 90).

Braintree: Holloway, Burgess, Jones, Bruce, Roget (Moran 77), Quinton, Hawes, Piper, Marks, Burns Riddle.