DESPITE being proud of his players, Roger Herridge and Binfield would once again come out second best in a cup final.
The manager’s wretched luck in silverware showdown’s with the Moles was to rear its ugly head for a third time on Thursday night, where Henley Town fought back to lift the Reading Senior Cup following a 5-3 triumph at Madejski Stadium after extra time.
Since taking on the reigns back in the autumn of 2014, Herridge has twice taken his charges to the final of this competition – as well as the final of the 2014/15 Hellenic Floodlit Cup – only to experience disappointment on all three occasions.
“I will have to have a long hard look at myself really and to find out why we are getting to cup finals and getting beat,” he said afterwards.
Herridge would understandably cut a frustrated figure come the final whistle – but for a variety of reasons.
The Premier Division side recovered from falling behind to an early Richard Bennett goal to open up a 2-1 half time lead thanks to strikes from the forward pairing of Liam Ferdinand and Jemel Johnson.
However, the 57th minute of the contest would witness a turning point when Binfield full-back Jack Broome was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball stamp on opponent Grant Kemp.
In what is becoming a bad and unwanted habit, it was the third time a Mole has been dismissed in as many cup finals.
Broome’s team-mates, however, would rally in his absence and grabbed a third moments later when Ferdinand bagged a second on the turn.
But in trying to force the issue, Henley and the extra man would halve the deficit through Sean Moore before Ben Clarke tucked home an equaliser.
Despite freshening things up from the bench, the Moles would toil at the home of Reading FC and were dealt a fatal blow when Asa Povey completed the turnaround for Division 1 East outfit Town during the first session of extra time.
Binfield, through Jean Claude Etienne, Johnson and Ferdinand, saw chances to equalise come and go, but it was game over when replacement Liam Tindell pounced amid some tired defending to nudge the south Oxfordshire side further ahead late on.
“I’m bitterly disappointed, but what I will say is that I am proud of the players,” added Herridge.
“At 2-1 and with 11 players I thought there was only going to be one winner. It was a relatively even first half.
“They score the first goal, so obviously it was important to to get the second goal, and we did that then go ahead just before the half time, but the sending off changed the game.
“On a great big pitch playing with 10 men from the 57th minute, I think that changed the game.
“We get ourselves 3-1 in front, but ultimately having one man less has counted against us.
“It is not a great feeling but well done to them (Henley), I thought they were excellent and if they keep that squad together they will certainly have a good year in the Hellenic Premier (next season following promotion) because they have got some good players.”
Herridge claimed he did not see the incident which led the full back Broome being dismissed, which came during an altercation after the defender was unhappy with a tackle made by Kemp, but nonetheless felt let down by the player.
“I’m not sure if he (the referee) sent him off for what he thought he did or what he saw, but I’m disappointed in Jack for giving him the opportunity.
“He let himself down, he let me and the club down and asked an awful lot of his team-mates on a big, big pitch to play with 10 players and that’s disappointing.”
The manager would not, however, be drawn on the performance of the referee and his officials who, amid several questionable decisions, denied Binfield a penalty at 4-3 when a Ferdinand strike looked to be blocked in the box by an arm.
His immediate thoughts, though, would turn to how he can try and arrest a run of successive final defeats as the club’s wait to add another trophy to the Hill Farm Lane cabinet continues.
“The players could not have given me anymore today,” he said.
“We’re making a bad habit of coming to these cup finals and getting beaten by teams from lower levels (North Leigh United, Wokingham and Emmbrook, Henley Town) – and that is not knocking them.
“Obviously they made the extra man count, they were clinical and took their chances.
“We probably created as many chances – and probably more – but didn’t take them.
“It is the same feeling I had 12 months ago, and it doesn’t matter if it is Henley or Wokingham, we have ended the season on a low and that’s disappointing.
“Now is the time for a little bit of thinking and then go from there.”
