Smith “gutted” after Trophy loss – report added
Blues’ joint boss Steve Smith couldn’t hide his disappointment after his side went out of the FA Trophy with a 1-0 loss at Greenwich Borough, on Saturday.
After dominating the game for long periods, Stortford were hit by a sucker-punch in the 78th minute as the home side netted what proved to be the winner.
“I’m absolutely gutted” Smith said. “We completely dominated the game had so many chances to win the game on another day we could have scored four or five goals.
“Jamie [Cureton] was gutted afterwards cos he had some great chances but it wasn’t to be and we got caught by a sucker punch 12 minutes from time .
“Thanks to the supporters that travelled and I sorry we didn’t get the result that our performance deserved.”
Despite being without cup-tied pair Ben Sampayo and Nick Brown, Smith able to name a full 16-man squad and they started brightly with Cureton putting the ball in the net after eight minutes, only to see the effort disallowed due to a push by Luke Callandar.
Blues continued to control the game, although keeper Callum Kitscha did well to save a free-kick, before Ryan Charles went close on the half hour mark when he forced McGill to parry a long range effort after a good move involving Callandar.
Charles again involved when Blues went close seven minutes later with Jack Thomas seeing his effort just kept out.
Cureton twice went close in the opening stages of the second half as Blues piled on the pressure, seeing an effort flash just wide before lobbing the out-of-position Thomas McGill from 35 yards only to see his effort go agonisingly past the post.
Alfie Mason replaced Johnville Renee as Stortford pushed for the winner, with Cureton drawing a good, low save from McGill midway through the second period and the veteran striker was again unlucky as he met a low Charles cross but fired wide from 12 yards.
Substitute Hector Kyprianou rattled the crossbar from 25 yards before Greenwich hit the killer goal.
A rare trip into Blues’ half saw the ball fall to Laurent Mendy, and the striker turned and fired low into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Charles and Cureton had half-chances in the dying minutes, but the hosts defended in depth to go into the draw for the next round.
Blues: C Kitscha, D Humphreys (R Miles 82), C Gregan, J Thomas, S Robbins, R Henshaw, J Renee (A Mason 66), J Westcott (H Kyprianou 70), J Cureton, L Callandar, R Charles.
Att 104
