WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK exited the Cherry Red Records Premier Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to AFC Croydon.
Sumas took a look at the Croydon end briefly but a subsequent return forced a save by O’Shane Brown and the ball was cleared.
Eventually Max Treacher won the ball and fed it to Luke Scope and Croydon won back the ball. Luwayne Greenwood made a run but was deemed offside then a few minutes later Callum Eagle was down injured but soon recovered.
Joe Nwoko chased the ball through the middle but Joe Cummuskey attended to that with a crucial block.
As Sumas attacked, skipper Jake White, was able to take a shot which missed on the wrong side of the far post.
Nathan Mindomba worked towards a good attacking position but Sam McDermaid followed up but no goal ensued.
Croydon won back the ball and worked up to the corner flag with Greenwood and Bradley but Chris Robson intervened and the Sumas wriggled out of danger only to be caught offside in the opposition half.
Croydon then made it all the way to the Sumas goal-line but a positive move at a clearance prevented a goal.
A free kick for each side brought the goal-less session to a close.
It took less than two minutes for White to break through the middle of a sparsely populated penalty area and lob the ball over the top of Brown’s head into the net to give the Sumas the lead after the restart.
A bold move by manager Eliot Whitehouse occurred when he made a triple substitution and off went Mindomba, Scope and White replaced by Jack Webb, Dan Harris and Alan Bossman.
Aron Kanyai made a super save from a strong shot and, as Webb took a shot from an acute angle which bypassed the far post Croydon gained possession and frantically tried to find the equaliser without any success.
A free kick by Khation drew a quality save by Kanyai. Carl O’Blitey was playing well but had a shot blocked, denying an equaliser for Croydon.
Lewayne Greenwood then worked into a position to provide the equaliser in the 65th minute.
In reply, Sumas next driving foray, Brown was forced to make a save.
Croydon then made substitutions as Croydon upped the pace. Abaz Odonku chased hard but was beaten off the ball.
A corner kick led to the ball being headed through the defence but it was scrambled clear but Sumas claimed a free kick.
This gave them a spell in attack as it became end to end cup match style with James Clark taking a corner kick and Bossman sent in a cross which Croydon cleared taking route one down the middle.
A free kick to Croydon was saved by Kanyai and the visitors took a corner kick. A second corner ended in Kanyai’s hands. Clark took a shot which was blocked by Brown then Kanyai denied Croydon the winner.
The visitors held their nerve to win the penalty shootout and progress.
Wokingham & Emmbrook: Kanyai,(GK.), Robson, Riley, Treacher, C. Eagle, Cummuskey, Mindomba, Durham, Scope, White, McDermaid.
Subs: Webb, Harris, Bossman, Clarke, Woodward. (GK.).
By Arthur Strand
