Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

In front of crowd of 1,101, Bowers & Pitsea secured an immediate return to the Isthmian League Premier Division with a penalty shootout win over Brentwood Town. The sides couldn’t be separated after 120 minutes of football, but the hosts held their nerve from the spot to secure promotion.

The game got off to a nervous start as neither side wanted to overcommit too early, but it was Bowers who created the earliest chances. Jack Thompson unleashes a shot from distance, but it was parried away from Melvin Minter, before another powerful shot was pushed away by the keeper.

The hosts won a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box after Benas Vaivada was brought down, and they made the most of it by taking the lead: Chris Millar sending it under the wall and off the post. Brentwood looked for a response, but a ball across the face of goal was picked up by David Hughes before a last ditch tackle prevented Andrew Freeman having a shot at goal. The hosts had also had more attempts of goal as they sought to double their lead, but a free-kick into the box was headed away and a shot from distance was comfortable for the keeper.

It was Brentwood’s time for a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box, and they also made it count when it was played short to Matt Cripps, who turned on the spot and squeezed it beyond Minter to equalise. The game had almost turned on its head a minute later as Brentwood sought a second in quick succession, but the header from Marlon Agyakwa was straight at David Hughes. The equaliser had really opened the game up as both sides ended the half with chances: for Bowers, Matt Price was almost played through, but saw the keeper collect the ball before Chris Millar tried a spectacular volley from distance, but his effort was over the bar and Brentwood’s put a corner into the box, but Hughes did well to claim.

The second half also had a nervous feel to it, but Brentwood looked like the side in control. A header from Matt Cripps was off the outside of the post before Andrew Freeman delivered a ball into the box, if it had been plucked out of the air by Hughes. The hosts first chances of the second half came around the 60 minute mark as they almost found the back of the net, but the effort was tipped over the bar before Price was almost played through, but the ball had just run away from him.

Brentwood had a golden chance to take the head as a free header from close range was just over the bar before Bowers won a penalty in the 64th minute. A price cross was blocked by an arm, but Ben Williamson wasn’t able to take advantage as Melvin Minter got his gloves to it, and the rebound was fired over the bar. The disappointment of the penalty hasn’t stopped Bowers from continuing to come forward as they looked to retake the lead. TQ Addy fired a cross towards the back post, but saw it sail into the keepers hands before good play between Benas Viavada and Olly Sotoyinbo put the hosts in a good position, but the latter fired his effort out of the ground with a volley.

The visitors continued to dominate as the game approached the final minutes. A shot from distance was wide of goal before Daniel Ogunleye also tried his luck from distance, but his effort was curled wide of the target and a corner was delivered into the box but the keeper was there to claim again. Olly Sotoyinbo looked to win it for Bowers but his effort was tipped over the bar before a scramble saw Brentwood manage to clear their lines and an effort from the away side was tipped over the bar by Hughes.

Brentwood dominated the early stages of extra time, but they couldn’t make it count. The ball was pulled back to Shad Ngandu, but the hosts managed to clear their lines before Ngandu fired a shot wide and Jonathan Nzengo straight at the keeper. Bowers had an opportunity at the end of the first half of extra time, but his effort was deflected wide before the set-piece was headed away at the near post, but at the start of the second period of extra time, there seemed to be a lack of action in front of goal.

A corner from Brentwood was claimed by David Hughes at the near post before the hosts found a foothold in the game. Thomas Stagg got on the end of a cross, but sent his header wide before a couple of corners were well defended by the visitors. They tried their luck from the edge of the box, but it was blocked before the final chance of the game fell to the Blues: they brought the ball out for their own half and had a shot from distance, but the effort was fired over.

Brentwood took the first penalty and scored through Matt Cripps before Geofrey Okonkwo followed suit and levelled it. The shootout remained level after the second spot kicks as both Tom Stephen and Chris Millar missed theirs, but Vaivada ensured a Bowers lead after he converted and Daniel Ogunleye missed. Samuel Jeremiah kept the visitors alive as he just squeezed his effort beyond Hughes, but a miss from Marlon Agyakwa and a conversion from Sotoyinbo meant it was Bowers who were triumph in the shootout, winning 3-2.