FA Vase: Sporting Bengal 1 Burnham Ramblers 1
Two hours of play could not separate Sporting Bengal and Burnham Ramblers in their FA Vase tie at Mile End Stadium, despite a number of chances at both ends.
The Ramblers took the lead on 37 minutes through Joel Barnett who headed home from six yards out.
But Sporting equalised with 16 minutes left when substitute Xavier Rivera curled the ball into the top right hand corner.
Extra time could not produce a winner, though, and the two sides must meet again at Leslie Field on Tuesday to see who goes through.
Burnham began the first half with a cross into the box which led to a frantic goalmouth scramble and ended with a shot being fired into the side netting.
The visitors continued to apply pressure and were unfortunate not to take the lead on 13 minutes when Barnett headed wide.
Sporting Bengal’s first chance came from Abdisamad Mohamed who received a cross from the left hand side and shot straight at Louis Godwin-Green.
Shortly after, the Ramblers played a low ball into the box from a corner and, after a series of ricochets and poor clearances, the ball fell to an attacker who had a shot saved by Lewis Lockyer.
The home side could have taken the led when Joswar Gonzalez picked out Carlos Aoldirve whose shot went over the bar.
And instead it was Burnham who broke the deadlock after 37 minutes when an unmarked Barnett headed home from a perfectly floated cross from the left hand side.
Burnham’s lead was nearly extended before the break as they hit the bar from a corner.
But Sporting Bengal started the second half in dominant fashion, without creating a real clear-cut opportunity.
Anwar Uddin’s men levelled on 74 minutes, though, when Prince William laid the ball off to substitute Rivera 12 yards from goal and he calmly picked his spot and curled the ball into the top right hand corner.
Sporting’s other clear chance came five minutes from time when Rivera skilfully beat the Ramblers full-back and crossed to Aoldirve whose header went agonisingly wide.
The hosts dominated the first period of extra time and could have taken the lead through Aoldirve who put his shot went just wide after pouncing on a defensive mistake.
Shortly after Aoldirve had another chance, but hit the post from a Rivera cross.
Burnham’s only chance of the first period could have seen them take the lead when Ashley Hawkins missed an open goal after Sporting failed to clear a corner.
The home side had yet another chance to take the lead when a Yacine Teladjati shot was heroically headed off the line by a Ramblers defender.
And the second period of extra time saw Sporting having the only chance through Aoldirve, who had a header tipped over the bar by Godwin-Green.
At the end of 120 minutes, the hosts could consider themselves unlucky not to have won and they will now hope to get the same opportunities when the pair meet again in their midweek replay.
Sporting Bengal: Lockyer, M Williams (Adeyemi 60), Ngulube, Kahie (William 70), Meikle, Ahmed, Mohamed (Rivera 70), Hussain, Aoldirve, Gonzalez, Teladjati. Unused subs: Jogee, V Williams.
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