Stone Old Alleynians overcame the challenge of Hawkins Sports in a pulsating encounter at Wellbeing Park and progressed to the second round of the JW Hunt Cup with a 4-3 win.
Second-half goals from Matt Thomas and Brynn Cooper complemented Cameron Sinclair’s first-half brace, but Alleynians manager Matt Smith was less than enamoured with his side’s performance: “The goals we gave away tonight were very poor, and a game that we should have seen off comfortably had us biting our nails by the end and worrying about extra time.”
Smith’s men went behind against the run of play in the first half when the visitors coolly slotted home a penalty following a foul by Dean Buckley. Prior to falling behind, the lively Adam Griffin spurned several chances, and Sinclair also went close as the Old Boys found joy attacking down the right.
Griffin was then forced off with a hamstring injury and replaced by Luke Matthews, who didn’t take long to make an impact. An onrushing Sinclair met Matthews’ centre and headed his side level from 10 yards. Sinclair then added another following a Thomas free-kick on the right. Thomas found Buckley, who fired goalwards and saw his strike deflect fortuitously onto the head of Sinclair. The midfielder made no mistake and found the net once again just a minute from half-time.
The timing of Sinclair’s second didn’t discourage the visitors though, and they pegged back the Old Boys early in the second period. A Hawkins frontman found himself free in the box and clinically turned home a cross from the left to level the scores.
The Alleynians still looked dangerous in possession high up the pitch, and were able to put themselves back in front following neat work from Thomas. The youngster cut inside from his position on the left flank, only to be felled as he lined up a shot. The referee pointed to the spot and Thomas picked himself up to blast the Old Boys in front once more.
Cooper then made it four as he followed up a Sinclair strike. Starting in an unfamiliar forward role, the striker shrugged off the challenge of his marker and bundled the ball into the net for his first of the season and what would turn out to be the winner.
The visitors still refused to accept defeat, and soon gave themselves a lifeline. Picking up a loose ball 30 yards from goal, a Hawkins forward made a few yards before releasing a timid shot that somehow found its way into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit.
Were it not for a brilliant block from Buckley in the closing stages, the tie would have headed into extra time. A Hawkins striker latched onto a weighted through ball and rounded Old Boys keeper Matt Burslem, only to see his effort rebound off Buckley who had backtracked to cover.
