Cardiff Medics 1sts 1 – 2 Southampton Solent 1sts
Cardiff Medics Men’s First XI’s BUSA Cup run came to an abrupt end after a late flurry from ten-man Southampton Solent.
With the game delicately poised at 0 – 0 and extra time on the cards, Solent hit two quick fire goals in a frantic final five minutes to stun the Medics.
Cardiff’s last minute reply was not enough as the visitors squeezed through to the semi-finals.
The tie was played at a fast tempo and it didn’t take long for the impressive Medics ‘keeper Dave Harvey to be called into action. He made two good saves before having Crawford Deane to thank for keeping the opposition at bay with a smart tackle.
Both sides had extended spells of possession and the Cardiff captain Ben Mansall came close when his flick just cleared the crossbar after a fantastic through ball by his on-form midfield partner Rich Hesketh.
The Medics were constantly pressuring the opposition and gave them very little space with Tom Sedden and Rob Grounds in particular performing admirably.
The pair put in hardworking and quality performances, with Sedden persistently breaking up attacks and Grounds winning countless short corners for his side.
The Solent attack found Harvey in their way, once again matching whatever they could throw at him
The whole team played some brilliant hockey and the slick passing continued into the second half with patches of exciting hockey, which just couldn’t be rewarded with a goal.
Tom Cromarty was very unlucky not to score as the second half wore on; his shot hit the side netting after a well-worked short corner routine.
It then looked as if the Medics had a perfect chance to push on for the win as Southampton were reduced to ten men after a yellow card for dissent to the officials. But instead it was the visiting team who drove forward looking for the killer goal.
The Solent attack found Harvey in their way, once again matching whatever they could throw at him including a fine one-on-one save as the striker looked to round him.
Then, with a few minutes to go, the south coast outfit delivered a sucker punch; a smart turn and finish inside the box leaving Harvey motionless to put the Medics a goal down.
Things got worse with five minutes to go, when a short corner routine led to an easy tap-in for the Solent striker, much to the delight of his teammates.
Cardiff threw everyone forward and it paid off when they grabbed a late consolation goal, with skipper Mansall finishing off a simple short corner routine to make it 2 – 1, but it was too late for the fairytale comeback.
The Medics can count themselves unlucky, with some of the squad putting in fantastic displays, and they’ll be looking to bounce back in their crucial title run-in in the coming weeks.
