Cup (Home)
Won 3-2
(H/T 2-1)
Moulton finally welcomed Irchester Utd to Brunting Rd in the Semi Final of the Les Underwood Junior Cup which was originally scheduled for March 4th. The home side were early out of the traps and could have taken the lead in the first minute, Joey Evans and Tom O’Neill worked an opening for Derek Okoye and with the Irchester keeper Kelvin Kwarteng committed, his cross was headed behind for a corner. The Magpies were having the better of the opening exchanges and took the lead after 7 minutes, O’Neill floated over a free kick from the left and JJ McCARTHEY arrived right on cue at the far post to find the net. As the home side continued to dominate Evans blazed over after good work from Andy Hall, and when Okoye and Evans combined McCarthey just failed to reach the cross, in between times the visitors had a dangerous free kick on the edge of the box but it didn’t trouble home keeper Filipe Mederios. On 32 minutes Moulton doubled the lead, Evans played a pass into some space behind the Irchester defence to Hall who was in an offside position, but he ignored the ball and with the visitors defence static McCarthey stole in, retrieved it and rolled a pass inside to OKOYE who finished from 15 yards. Within 4 minutes however the Romans were back in the game, when a cross from the left by Lewis Isom was headed in by Levon Stewart, and Moulton responded and Darren Fotso saw a shot tipped onto the bar at the other end by Kwarteng.
HALF TIME MOULTON 2 IRCHESTER UTD 1
Irchester caught the home side cold with only 3 minutes of the second half played, when Stewart was afforded too much space in the penalty area and scored his second of the game and drew his side level. The equaliser stung Moulton into action and Evans got clear but was foiled by Kwarteng, and the keeper was called into action twice soon after, firstly blocking a shot from Hall and then the follow up from Evans. Although Irchester were still in the game it wasn’t until 20 minutes of the half had gone that home keeper Mederios was called upon, saving a fierce shot with his legs. The Magpies were creating the better chances with McCarthey hitting the side netting and then Okoye headed over following a cross by Cole Mason. The crucial goal came with 15 minutes left, HALL received the ball on the edge of the box and hit a sweet half volley with the outside of his right foot that flew past the visitors keeper into the net. Evans was foiled again by Kwarteng and right at the death the visitors had a great chance to equalise but a header from a free kick went straight at Mederios in the home goal.
FINAL SCORE MOULTON 3 IRCHESTER UTD 2
Editor -Steve Alibone