Six of the best as the U's make Round Two.
The U's have won 6-3 at Gosport Borough in the FA Cup to progress to the Second Round for the first time since 2011
Whilst Gosport gave it a go in the second half, the U's firepower saw them over the line as Tony Humes grabbed a win in his first FA Cup match as U's manager.
In fact, it broke a cup hoodoo for the U's that saw them lose nine in a row in knockout competitions and progress further in the historic tournament.
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First half goals from Gavin Massey, Sanchez Watt and Freddie Sears made it 3-0, before Bennett reduced the arrears.
Alex Gilbey scored a fourth before the break but Bennett scored again just after half time.
A second from Sears and Sammie Szmodics' first for the club made it six for the U's but the home side kept going and scored to make it 6-3 at the death. Tony Humes made three changes to his starting eleven, with Magnus Okuonghae, Alex Gilbey and Ben Gordon replacing Frankie Kent, Rhys Healey and Elliott Hewitt.
In fact, it broke a cup hoodoo for the U's that saw them lose nine in a row in knockout competitions and progress further in the historic tournament.
.
First half goals from Gavin Massey, Sanchez Watt and Freddie Sears made it 3-0, before Bennett reduced the arrears.
Alex Gilbey scored a fourth before the break but Bennett scored again just after half time.
A second from Sears and Sammie Szmodics' first for the club made it six for the U's but the home side kept going and scored to make it 6-3 at the death. Tony Humes made three changes to his starting eleven, with Magnus Okuonghae, Alex Gilbey and Ben Gordon replacing Frankie Kent, Rhys Healey and Elliott Hewitt.
A quiet start saw much of the play in the middle third but the U’s were preventing the hosts from gaining any momentum.
A cross did come into the U’s penalty area but Sam Walker was unchallenged as he comfortably took it in.
Having quietened down the home crowd to a degree, the U’s got forward on fourteen minutes to open the scoring.
A patient pattern of play saw the ball played from one side to the other and when it went out to the U’s right, Sean Clohessy put in a dangerous cross.
Sanchez Watt got to it first and when his shot came back off the post, Gavin Massey scored at the second attempt after his first effort was blocked.
The two sides exchanged efforts just after the opener, with George Moncur hitting an effort straight at the keeper just after a long range shot flew over Walker’s bar.
On twenty minutes, having controlled the majority of the possession, the U’s went further ahead through Sanchez Watt.
Massey curled a great ball down the right into Freddie Sears’ path and the U’s top scorer clipped a cross in for Sanchez to volley home.
It was one way traffic at this point and after Alex Gilbey had a shot saved, Sears made it 3-0 from the penalty spot.
He beat the offside trap to run through on goal and after rounding Ashmore, was fouled by Brett Poate.
The Gosport captain was leniently given yellow instead of red but Sears punished him by sending Ashmore the wrong way from the penalty.
The home side didn’t capitulate though and started to get a foothold as the game went through half an hour.
They got themselves a goal back on forty minutes, with the U’s failing to clear a corner and Bennett sidefooted home from a Ben Gerring cross.
Hopes of an upset faded five minutes later, as Alex Gilbey ran through from just inside his own half and put his shot under Ashmore to make it 4-1.
Massey went for goal with a volley in injury time but misjudged it and the half time whistle went with the score at 4-1 to the U’s.
The second half started with both sides having unsuccessful attempts at goal but it didn’t take long for the hosts to once again reduce the arrears.
It was Bennett again, seconds after he had squandered a good chance, getting in behind the defence and calmly slotting his low shot past Walker.
The U’s regained their three goal advantage on seventy seven minutes, with Sears scoring his second of the afternoon.
Watt picked up a loose ball out of defence that allowed him to run through on goal and when the ball fell to Sears, he walked it past Ashmore and shot into the empty net.
Watt himself was denied a second when Ashmore made a good save at his near post but the home keeper couldn’t prevent a sixth as the game went into added time.
Substitute Sammie Szmodics was too quick for two defenders and although Ashmore got something on the shot, the ball found the net for the yougster’s first ever U’s goal.
The scoring wasn’t finished though and credit to the home side for going until the end.
Sub Lee Wort got through and his shot went in off the post to make the final score 6-3 to the U’s.
The non-leaguers worked hard throughout but it was the U’s going through to the Second Round.