Concord Spring Cup Shock on Clarets

Ryman League Premier Division club Concord Rangers sprung an Essex Senior Cup shock on Blue Square Bet....

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Published 29th November 2011

Tony Stokes

...South outfit Chelmsford City at Melbourne, Tony Stokes’ second half hat-trick sending the impressive Beach Boys into the quarter-finals while the Clarets boss demanded that his players learned from the experience.

Already a goal up at half time, Rangers added gloss to the result before Michael Bakare’s late Clarets consolation.

City now look towards the FA Cup game against Macclesfield Town for a quick reaction, manager Glenn Pennyfather claiming: “It was always going to be difficult, just before a massive cup game for the club, so it fell at the wrong time for us.

“There wasn’t the passion and there wasn’t the desire and drive I associate my teams with. I’m bitterly disappointed with their performance but I think everybody’s come through it and they’re OK. Now we can turn our attentions and fully focus on Saturday’s game, which we’re totally prepared for.”

Early home chances fell to Craig Parker, shooting low at goalkeeper Andy Young from the corner of the six-yard box, and Ben Nunn, who roved forward from right-back and brought a diving save from the custodian. But Concord themselves took the lead when the ball sat up for ex-Claret Kurt Robinson 35 yards from goal and he belted it superbly inside the top corner, leaving ‘keeper Stuart Searle with no chance.

Sherwin Stanley came close to doubling Rangers’ lead with an acrobatic volley over his shoulder from ten yards midway through the half and Stokes won a foot race on the right wing before cutting in and hacking wide when approaching the goal. City’s best chance of the half arrived on the half-hour as Cliff Akurang charged down the wing and crossed to Joe Benjamin, who returned the favour, but Akurang headed wide.

Benjamin curled narrowly off-target for the Clarets 9 minutes after the interval though Concord showed a hunger to win every ball and were rewarded for their efforts.

A double-strike in the 56th and 64th saw Stokes initially find the bottom corner from ten yards. Then, shortly afterwards, a forward run and curl into the same area beyond Searle resulted in Stokes claiming his second of the evening.

It could have been four when a goal-bound effort from James Elmes had to be blocked by the grounded defender Mark Haines but Concord still had another goal up their sleeve.

A centre was swung into the danger zone from the left wing on 82 minutes and Stokes’ glancing header was out of Searle’s reach as it crept inside the post.

A late rally from Chelmsford manifested itself in an 83rd minute consolation, Bakare dribbling inside from the right and striking along the ground through the body of Young and into the net. Bakare thought he’d scored again when he prodded home Ross Lamb’s knock-down shortly afterwards but it was ruled out for offside, while Benjamin’s late drive also hit the post on a frustrating night for the Clarets.