FA Cup (A)
Lost 2-3
(H/T 1-2)

Moulton FC exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle for the second successive season on a frustrating day in north Nottinghamshire. Once again, the Magpies made a decent start to the game and within the first 12 minutes created several chances with Tyson Aluko twice, Lewis Isom and Nat Ansu all having decent attempts either blocked, saved or going just over. Against the run of play the home side struck, when a defensive error let in Jamie York to put his side in front, Moulton replied almost immediately and when Luke Stevens was fouled, Isom saw his free kick around the wall saved low down by Jonathan Hodge in the home goal.

With the visitors doing most of the pressing it was a hammer blow to go 2 down, Sherwood got in again down the right and from the cross York stole in un-marked to grab his second. Remarkably it was still the visitors who were creating all the chances Lachi Codrington slipped Ansu in down the right-hand channel, but Hodge saved well and from the resulting corner Dante Grey managed to direct his header wide from 3 yards out.

However, with 10 minutes of the half left they got some reward for their endeavour, Dan White headed a Stevens free kick across goal and this time GREY made no mistake from 8 yards. The Magpies continued to dominate, and created chances the best fell to Ansu, Codrington and Ellis Andrews with Hodge denying all 3 before half time.

HALF TIME… SHERWOOD COLLIERY 2 MOULTON 1

Moulton got just the tonic immediately from the re-start and when Codrington was fouled in the box following a great ball from Aluko, ANSU stepped up to equalise from the spot. The home side did create a few chances some down to more kamikaze defending, but at the other end Grey was unlucky to see a goal bound header deflected over.

The Magpies introduced fresh legs in an effort to gain the upper hand and still looked the most likely but with 71 minutes on the clock the home side retook the lead, Jordan Preston was allowed to run from the touchline across the penalty area before chipping over a static Moulton defence to Nathanial Crofts who finished emphatically past Adam North. With time running out Moulton still had 2 chances to force a replay first Connor Bailey burst into the box but Hodge was out quickly to smother the shot and right at the death an Isom cross was cleared out to White but couldn’t keep his shot down

FINAL SCORE … SHERWOOD COLLIERY 3 MOULTON 2

TEAM. North, Andrews, (Dicks 52), Osoimoejiokhian, Stevens, Grey, Mensah (Fisher 77), Codrington, (Bailey 62), Aluko, Ansu (Burrows 67), White, Isom. SUB unused Falcini

Editor - Steve Alibone