BRACKNELL TOWN’s hopes of promotion were dashed in the Southern League Premier South play-off final after they conceded a stoppage time goal to Truro City.
After completing a spectacular league campaign which saw Bracknell finish as runners-up, just three points behind champions Weston-super-Mare, they were dealt a cruel blow in the play-off final.
Carl Withers and Jamie McClurg’s side amassed 90 points from 42 games, while Truro finished just a point behind in third place.
Bracknell got through the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Chesham United on Wednesday which went all the way to extra-time before Gary Abisogun notched the all important goal to send the Robins through to the final two.
Playing host to Truro at the SB Stadium, it was the visitors who scored the opening goal of the contest on the stroke of half-time through Tyler Harvey.
Bracknell made a strong start to the second-half and were awarded a penalty just eight minutes after the restart which was converted by Darryl Sanders to make it 1-1.
But the away team responded quickly and restored their lead three minutes later when Andrew Neal made it 2-1.
The scouring streak in quick succession continued as Bracknell replied less than five minutes later in an extraordinary period of the match as Abisogun finished acrobatically after latching onto Dan Bayliss’ header.
With the game headed for extra-time, and possibly a penalty shootout, Bracknell were dealt a brutal blow in the dying moments of the game when Connor Riley-Lowe netted in the 95th minute to seal promotion for Truro.
Bracknell Town: Eacott, Dean, Burden, Fraser, Bayliss (c), Lodge, Abisogun, Herbert, Esprit, Sanders, English
Subs: Knight, Harris, Grant, Platt, Osu
Truro City: Hamon, Craske, Riley-Lowe (c), Adelsbury, Palmer, En-Neyah, Dean, T Harvey, Sullivan, White, Neal
Subs: Knowles, Brett, C Harvey, Greenslade, Egan
Goals: Harvey 45’, Sanders 55’ (pen), Neal 58’, Abisogun 62’, Riley-Lowe 90+5’
