PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND ONE
BRADY MACCABI 1 LOS CAMDEN A 2
Los Camden fought through a tough Brady side to put themselves in the hat for the next round. In a tie played in heavy rain and strong winds, as well as a slightly sloping pitch, this was never a game that was going to be able to foster ‘total football’.
Los Camden found themselves against the hill and strong wind and struggled to get going in the first half, rustiness from a month without a game started to show.
Brady had a golden opportunity to forge ahead after 40 minutes when their winger was brought down in the box and his team was awarded a penalty. But Steven Murad had other ideas and Camden’s goalkeeper, after a Jerzy Dudek style goal-line jiggle, dived fast to his bottom left to palm away a well struck penalty, this fine save saw the half finish goalless.
Camden started the second half well but their hopes were dented when Dean Rosenthal limped off injured following a hefty challenge which left him unable to continue. The visitors now found themselves without both their starting strikers, with Daniel Orgel also kleaving the field injured.
However, it was Stirling Kay's men who forged ahead on 65 minutes, when Kane Gilbery latched onto a through ball down the right channel, beat his man and squared the ball to Oli Sade on the edge of the area who hit the ball first-time across the keeper into the bottom corner giving Camden the lead.
With the game seemingly petering out, Camden shot themselves in the foot by sloppily conceding an own goal on 85 minutes levelling the scores. Brady were good value for their equaliser due to the fighting spirit they brought to the game.
However, there was one final twist as with extra-time looming, Guy Fenton delivered a sumptuous throw in which caught the Brady defence off guard, allowing the on rushing Meslawy to cleverly roll the ball under the keeper and put Camden in the next round of the cup.
Manager Stirling Kay told JC Sport: "Once again, I am left praising the character of my team, who got stuck in and got the result we needed in very difficult conditions.
"We've maintained our momentum and I am buzzing for my lads as a cup win is a great feeling. We were unlucky to lose our two starting strikers to injury during the game and we hope they can recover quickly.
"Having not had a game in a few weeks, the lads did well to get the result and I was very pleased with a few of the lads coming back from injury and the players that had to play out of position today, I look forward to get the boys on the training pitch so we can keep moving forward and improve this season."
Commenting on their opponents, Kay described Brady as "an excellent and extremely well-drilled side". He added: "I have to praise their battling spirit as they played some good football and will undoubtedly take points from plenty playing as well as that."
