Last Tuesday Benfleet played their first FA Cup game in its 99-year history as they joined 368 teams kicking off a new season in the Emirates FA Cup in the extra-preliminary qualifying round.

In a hard-fought cup-tie the first half was a tight affair with nothing noteworthy as both teams settled into their first competitive match since the pandemic halted last season back in March.

The second-half got going much quicker than the first with the home side taking the lead straight after the restart. 17-year old Tom Watkins, a half-time substitute for Brantham, had an immediate impact finishing from close range to give the Blue Imps the initiative with his first competitive goal for the club.

That goal was the catalyst to really opening up the game and the second half became a lively end-to-end affair with both sides creating good chances and it was clear that the next goal would be crucial. It was the visitors that got it on 74 minutes as Jamie Brown took the ball down the left hand side and crossed for Ben Foord to level the tie with Benfleet’s first ever FA Cup goal.

The game was anybody’s from there with both sides creating some really good chances. Jamie Brown went down the left hand side again ten minutes from time and curled a shot that missed the top right hand corner by millimetres. Then in stoppage time Benfleet goalkeeper Flo Gislette pulled off an incredible save at point blank range to keep the tie at 1-1.

So straight to penalties it was and it was a shootout mixed with some great penalties and some very poor ones with Brantham winning the shootout 3-2 and securing their place in the next round.

After the match Benfleet Manager Stuart Batch said “it was a proud day for Benfleet Football Club. We put in an excellent performance against an opposition in the league above and we really could have won the game. Either team could have. It was a great match and its a shame the shootout didn’t go our way.”

Benfleet’s first home game of the league season is against Frenford at 7:45pm on Wednesday 16th September at Park Lane.

Benfleet Football Club

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