Crookham Rovers U23s booked their place in the third round of the Hampshire Cup with a hard-earned 2-1 win away at Broughton 1901 FC.
Rovers were on top for most of the first half and got their reward around the half-hour mark when Kial Elliott rose majestically and met a well-taken corner with a firm header into the net. It was no more than Rovers deserved.
“I found a bit of space in the middle of the box. Nate put in a great ball, right on my head. I just tried to get something on it and flick it towards the goal, and it ended up looping over the keeper,” said Elliott
Broughton hit back with a corner of their own to level things up, deep into added time at the end of the first half.
Not long after the restart, Rovers had a big chance to retake the lead when Harry Barber broke clear and ran through for a one-on-one with the keeper. However, he tried to square it for Nate Holloway, only for the keeper to pull off an impressive save.
“I felt terrible at missing the chance and, standing in the centre circle afterwards, I felt as sick as a dog,” said Barber in a post-match interview.
Looking on in disbelief at the missed opportunity, teammate Louis Matravers said, “Honestly? I felt sick just watching it.”
Rovers made amends, though, and there was no stopping Holloway the next time. With 20 minutes to go, skipper Luke Gorton split the defence with a perfect through ball, and Holloway sprinted on to the pass, finishing coolly to make it 2-1.
The visitors had to dig in late on after Elliott was forced off with an injury, leaving them a man short for the final ten minutes. But Rovers stood firm to see out the win and make sure their cup run continues.
"A goal, an assist, and a great team victory. I'll take that any day of the week," said Holloway after the game, who showed his cl-ass all afternoon, and lead the post-match celebrations.
Manager Andrew Barber said: “It was a proper cup tie. We controlled large parts of it and showed real character after Kial went off. Every player gave everything, and I’m proud of the way they dug in to get the result.
“We’ll enjoy this one, but attention now turns to the next round on the 6th December when we welcome Sherfield English from the Southampton League. They’ll be a tough team to beat, but it’s another good test for us and a chance to keep the run going.”