Brentwood Town 2, Lowestoft Town 3
FA Trophy First Qualifying Round: Lowestoft Town were forced to battle all the way before securing their progress into the next round of the FA Trophy with victory over Brentwood Town.
Lowestoft were far from their best in the opening half and fell behind after just five minutes. Dean Green made ground down the right before pulling the ball back from the byline for Emmanuel Osei to shoot home from six yards. The pacy Brentwood trio of Green, Osei and Steve Butterworth were a constant thorn in the Trawlerboys defence as they dominated the opening period.
Little was seen of the Lowestoft attack as a potent force with only a Matt Nolan shot on the turn saved by Elliot Justham and a Jack Marsden header that just cleared the bar carrying any threat.
The second half was a much more lively affair with Lowestoft making the ideal start by equalising inside the first minute. Lowestoft's best forward on the day Joe Francis made ground down the left before firing in a vicious low shot from an acute angle which took a deflection on its way into the net.
Lowestoft's joy was short lived though with Brentwood regaining the lead just two minutes later. Steve Butterworth cut inside Adam Smith but his shot from the edge of the area was turned round the post by the diving Andy Reynolds. From the resultant corner Danny Dafter rose unchallenged to head powerfully into the net.
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Lowestoft were looking much better in the second period and Adrian Forbes was just off target with a header and Justham produced an excellent save from a Smith free kick. Moments after coming off the bench Chris Henderson set up Francis but Justham produced another superb save to deny Lowestoft an equaliser.
There was a big delay in proceedings when Osei went down injured and received lengthy treatment before being carried off on a stretcher.
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Lowestoft's mounting pressure finally paid off in the 76th minute. Matt Nolan was brought down just outside the area to the right of the goal and from Smith's free kick Nolan was on hand to turn the ball into the net.
Lowestoft netted what turned out to be the winning goal five minutes later. Francis and Smith combined down the left and when the resultant cross was only partially cleared Henderson drilled the ball back into the danger area for Dale Cockrill to sweep into the net from close range.
To their credit Brentwood came back strongly looking for an equaliser with the Trawlerboys having to endure a mammoth 18 minutes of added time before the final whistle signalled their progress into the next round of the competition.
• Brentwood Town: Justham, Doyle, Llewellyn, Mason, O'Rawe, Stokes, Butterworth, Dafter, Green (Dingli, 84), Osei (Seymour, 79), Edgar. Subs (not used) Ketchell, Webb, Pitman.
• Lowestoft Town: Reynolds, Cave-Brown, Smith, Ainsley, Marsden, Gaughran, Forbes (Henderson, 62), Cockrill, Nolan, Frew (Forshaw, 90+2), Francis (Onuchukwu, 90+9). Subs (not used) Stock, Chick.
• Attendance: 197
