Emirates FA Cup 2021/22 Third Qualifying Round

Bedfont Sports Club FC v Sholing FC (Saturday 2nd October 2021)

Wow. Half time entertainment by Wet Wet Wet covering Rhianna's 'Umbrella' and Bob Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall'? It was raining here at The Bedfont Recreation Ground. The sort of rain where you think it can't possibly get any heavier and then it does. And then it does again. Fair play to Bedfont Sports (The Eagles), Sholing (The Boatmen), the officials and 151 hardy souls who cheered on both teams in this exciting encounter.

The Bedfont Recreation Ground has a 3G surface and, thankfully, some decent overhead cover in a few seated and standing areas. I learned that the venue was a host for the 2018 CONIFA World Cup; a tournament I wasn't aware of until now. It's an international trophy competed for by states, minorities, stateless peoples and regions unaffiliated with FIFA. The 2018 tournament was held in and around London and won by Kárpátalja (a Hungarian minority mostly in western Ukraine). There we are...every day (for me, at least) is a school day.

The backdrop to this match was also the soundscape. An impressive audible array of vuvuzela's (remember them?....2010 World Cup, South Africa) which were decent competition to the frequent aircraft taking off from nearby Heathrow. The teams must have found it tricky to communicate with each other...

...and indeed early in the first half it was The Boatmen, who should have been at home in these wet conditions, experiencing communication difficulties. Sholing, formerly Vosper Thornycroft and VT FC (side note....Vosper Limited built Donald Campbell's 1939 water speed record breaking Bluebird K4), were behind after just 3 minutes when a Darryl Sanders shot beat the 'keeper from 20 yards.

The Boatmen endeavoured to stay afloat with some decent pressure for the next 25 minutes as the rain became torrential. Following a succession of corners, tekkers on the right hand side led to a crafty back-healed attempt by Sholing and a decent save by The Eagles' custodian, Dimitrios Kyriatzis. The first half-hour also saw a Sholing effort which struck the post and the most magnificent clearance into the Heathrow flightpath.

31 minutes. Steppin' out in style was Joe Jackson to double the Bedfont lead. 32 minutes. Ricky Wellard struck his left foot shot, er.....very firmly, to make it 3-0 at half time. Surely that's it, all done. Bedfont through to the next round?

It was nearly 4-0 after 52 minutes when a finely struck Darryl Sanders free-kick brought a fine save from Ryan Gosney in the Sholing goal and later in the half Bedfont had other chances to put the game beyond reach with Kevin Diomande missing that cutting edge from a free header and Michael Dwayne-Holden putting a great chance just past the post.

It was The Boatmen who still had the wind in their sails. On 55 minutes some penalty-box-pinball from a corner ended with Stuart Green firing home. 3-1 and more Sholing pressure against a visibly tiring home side. On 69 minutes it was Brad Targett hitting the, er...back of the net with a header. 3-2 and all set for a frantic finale as the rain continued to fall.

Bedfont were holding on to the prize of their name in the hat for the fourth qualifying round as the assistant referee held up the board indicating 3 minutes of injury time. This proved to be just enough time for Stuart Green to equalise for the visitors with his second of the game. 3-3 final score? No, wait....Sholing on the attack once more.....it can't be a winner surely? Nope. Hit the post.

Despite the conditions (which were truly awful), a really entertaining tie and, you know, a game of two halves. Well done to both teams for simply keeping going. It's off to Southampton for the replay. Will the Eagles still be flying high or will The Boatmen secure their berth in the final round before the first round proper?