Result: Reserves State Cup Rd2 11/15/09

Barnstonworth Rovers Res 2 Brooklyn Italians Res 3

The Reserves suffered their first set back of the season, unfortunately at the most inopportune time, and were knocked out of the cup 3-2 by last year’s finalists, Brooklyn Italians.

The Italians, sporting several 1^st team regulars, took advantage of an uncharacteristically very flat Rover start and jumped to a 2-0 lead by half time. The two strikes comes minutes apart. Reserves 0-2.

At halftime, the Reserves adjusted, pressured higher up the pitch and soon started to turn the tide.

Lynch got the ball on the left wing, cut inside beating his marker in the box and fired against the grain, past the Italians fill in keeper. Reserves 1-2.

And minutes later, Lynchie completed the Reserves revival with an identical build up and goal. Reserves 2-2.

It all seemed perfectly poised for the Rovers to go on from there and complete the task. Instead, a lapse of concentration and the quick thinking, skillful Italians restarted a midfield free kick quickly to their striker making a perfectly timed diagonal run through the Rover’s back line. He collected and finished past Guelich.

Lynchie did his best to complete his hat-trick, in a third identical move, but his third thunderous strike hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced outside the goal line.

Yuri, coming off the bench, squandered a golden opportunity when a long ball sprung him between the last 2 defenders, carrying the ball inside the 18een. His strike just missed the upper far 90.

As BRFC pushed up looking for the equalizer Guelich kept them in the hunt with a couple of super saves.

Sammie’s header went wide and Yannick’s effort of a corner over the bar. Then in the last minute the Rovers failed to connect with Lynchie’s left foot low cross through the Italians’ six, their keeper smothering it well the 2^nd time of asking. And the Reserves were out of the cup, missing, what looked in the draw, clean run to the semi’s.

Team: Bobby Guelich, Bond Griffin, Stash Rutkowski, Zach Chandis, Pat Brown, Yuri Krym, Vidar Ekehaug, Corey Dempsey, Nick Lynch, Yannick James, Sam Minaya. Subs (all played) Felix D’ambrose, Michael Martocci