Drove up to Hungerford with Alan via the A303 due to roadworks on the A338. After dodging a tractor or two, we arrived at the ground and managed to get one of the last parking spaces in the overflow carpark. After purchasing a programme outside the gate and paying our admission, bumped into Andy who had driven over from Calne after a model railway exhibition. While he headed to the bar to catch the end of the Preston v Burnley game, Alan and I had a wander around the ground. There were a number of different stands dotted around which we were grateful to see as heavy rain was forecast for the afternoon. The ground had a fair slope to it but the wind was hurtling by in the other direction to even things up. Hungerford were noted in the programme as being the outsiders, with odds to win the Vase of 40-1 compared to Leiston at 12-1.
The local paper had reported the previous day that Hungerford would be trying an all out attack approach and the play in the first ten minutes certainly backed that up. Within a minute, their first attack saw the ball heading just over the bar from a shot that really should have found the back of the net. This period of play saw 3 corners and a good opportunity for a 1 on 1 with the keeper that was wasted as the through ball was just too far from the stretching striker's right boot. It was no surprise when Hungerford took the lead from a corner on 9 minutes. The ball was passed from the left corner to the edge of the box where a Hungerford player hit a superb shot through the crowd of players and into the left side of the goal.
Hungerford had a chance to make it 2.0 a minute later but the Leiston keeper outwitted the striker who had gone through 1 on 1 to make the save. The visitors gradually started to play some football and on 25 minutes managed their first shot on target. The wind was certainly affecting the play, with Hungerford's goalkicks hardly making the halfway line despite the advantage of the slope.
On 29 minutes, Leiston equalised much to the delight of the 30 or so fans behind the goal and a few others dotted around the ground. The ball was swung in from a free kick about 10 yards from the penalty box towards a mass of players. It was too high for anyone to head and it looked like the keeper's dive to the left would be a comfortable catch. However the keeper spilt the ball and it hit Leiston's no 10 on the knee, pushing it away from the keeper. The two Hungerford players sliding in on the ball and goalmouth were not quick enough to beat the oncoming Leiston player who slid the ball in. This gave Leiston a bit more confidence and 3 minutes later the Hungerford keeper pulled off a tremendous point blank save from a header in the box.
Hungerford didn't let the goal stop their attacking play and as the game moved toward half-time, put together a super pass and move counter-attack from their own half that lead to a long distance shot just past the Leiston post. While Hungerford had missed some good chances in the first half, they will have been pleased to have missed the last chance - when a Leiston ball was crossed from the left it found a defender's head and the ball hit the post and flew just wide. There was no time left to take the corner and the arguments of one of the Leiston players to the contrary led to a booking.
At the start of the second half Alan was still in the slow moving queue at the teabar - luckily he turned round to see a Hungerford header flash just wide of the goal when all around us thought it was in. Hungerford continued to put pressure on the visitors to score and looked like they would in the 60th minute when a cross came in from the right and two players failed to make a connection. 5 minutes later they should have scored again - this time a Hungerford player went through on goal but delayed his shot which allowed the keeper to grab the ball at his feet. The locals started to look a bit nervous and one mentioned it was like the previous Tuesday when they had made all the chances and had lost 2.1The nerves disappeared a few minutes later. Leiston's no 10 had been booked for a late challenge just after that chance and hadn't calmed down. He lost the ball on the left side, lost his temper and decided to kick out at a Hungerford player once the ball had gone. The referee spotted this late infringement and had no choice but to give him a second yellow. Hungerford took the lead a minute later. From a freekick, the ball was swung into the area and a Hungerford player got his head to hit ahead of the outcoming keeper. The ball looped over the keeper's hands, under the crossbar and in.
To give them their credit, the rest of the Leiston players didn't give up and continued to play good football in their search for an equaliser. Four minutes after the Hungerford goal and they had it - a great turn on the edge the area to create space on the left hand side and then a sublime cross shot over the keeper and into the back of the net. The goalscorer and his team mates then raced down towards the stand we were in to celebrate in front of some of their supporters. A fantastic goal that wouldn't have looked out of place on Match of the Day.
Hungerford looked to have paid for not taking their chances earlier in the game in what was turning out to be one of the best games I'd seen for a long while. Both teams now tried their best to get a goal before extra time - Leiston almost won it on 88 minutes when a ball came in to the box and bounced kindly off a Hungerford leg to one of their strikers. He turned well and dug the ball from under his foot, past the keeper but direct onto the post. Hungerford waited until injury time for their best chance - Leiston's keeper couldn't hold onto a shot from the left but when it bounced to a Hungerford player he was given as offside just as he hit the ball into the back of the net.
So another 30 minutes in the cold but after the excitement of the first 90 minutes I wasn't unhappy at the prospect of more football. 1 minute and 26 seconds (thanks Andy!) after the restart Hungerford took the lead again. A header from a corner hit the crossbar, the follow up shot was saved and pushed onto the post only for the original header of the ball to be given a second chance. This time he managed to get his header on target and past the keeper. Hungerford made the most of the extra man and almost got another goal from a corner 8 minutes into the first half of extra time - this time Leiston managed to get a man on the line to clear the ball. The second half continued in a similar vein - Hungerford creating most of the chances but not converting them. Despite this, they did enough to prevent Leiston from earning a replay.
As we walked out of the ground, the Hungerford players celebrated by bouncing up and down and singing Wembley songs. A genuine cup upset and who knows - if they continue to create chances and maybe score a few more of them, they might be there in May.
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