AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 – Brackley Town 1 – NFA Hillier Cup Semi-Final

AFC Rushden & Diamonds reached their first NFA Hiller Cup Final with a hard fought 2-1 win against National League North side Brackley Town in the semi-final at the Dog & Duck on Tuesday night.

The visitors were bright and purposeful in the early stages but Diamonds weathered the early storm and took the lead on 15 minutes. It came from a Brackley error as keeper Hornby sliced a back pass high in the air allowing Tom Lorraine to cleverly head the bouncing ball over him into the empty net. The second came on 33 after a good period for the home side when Jon Stevenson raced onto returning Dan Quigley’s excellent through ball and slid home coolly under the advancing keeper.

Brackley were always dangerous in the game and pretty much dominated the second half taking just 7 minutes of it to pull a goal back. David Moyo was tripped in the box as he tried to turn with back to goal, and he took the resulting penalty which fired in off Matt Finlay’s legs. They pressed constantly with Diamonds working hard to deny them space in and around the box. They hit the bar with an effort from 15 yards on 73, Moyo fired over Finlay but just wide on 80 after a great run and it was Matt Finlay who really earned this cup final appearance with a stunning one handed save on 87 after the shot fired in had taken a wicked deflection.

Manager Andy Peaks selected a strong side for this cup semi-final with just two changes from the starting 11 from Saturday’s 4-0 defeat. Jack Ashton came into the back four in place of Ollie Wilkinson and took the centre half berth alongside Liam Dolman with Delroy Gordon moving out to right back. The re-signed Dan Quigley came into centre midfield in place of Richard Bunting. Matt Pinder and Joe Ackroyd came onto a youthful looking bench with Charlie Butt, Claudiu Hoban and Alex Vitue.

Diamonds avoided the experience of last season’s quarter-final tie where they trailed 3-0 to the same opponents after just 16 minutes but had to work hard to deny the pacey Brackley forwards in the early stages. Liam Dolman making an important block as Tom Winters broke into the edge of the box on 3 minutes.

Diamonds were looking to hit on the break at this stage and came close to getting both Tom Lorraine and Jon Stevenson onto through balls denied by Brackley keeper Sam Hornby each time.

After Brackley had dominated the attacking play without creating much in the way of clear chances it was Diamonds who took an unexpected lead on 15. A pass back to keeper Hornby to break up a quick Diamonds attack was only sliced high in the air falling to Tom Lorraine who cleverly headed the bouncing ball over the crestfallen keeper to give the home side the lead.

The goal settled Diamonds who started to show more confidence against their higher ranked opposition both with more aggressive defending and more probing attacks. A free-kick was won on 21 and fired into the far post from 30 yards by Shawn Richards just evading Lorraine and Gordon as they closed on the goal.

Brackley won a series of free-kicks and corners around the half-hour mark that had Diamonds at full stretch to defend, Finlay pushing one away at full stretch and gathering another on the line after some head tennis near the line.

But it was Diamonds who would double their lead on 33 in superb style. Dan Quigley threaded a great ball through a high pressing Brackley defence for Jon Stevenson to run clear on goal from 45 yards out. He was composed, waited for the keeper to advance and slotted under him into the centre of the goal.

It was a goal that Stevenson deserved for his perseverance in hassling and troubling the Brackley defence and he came close to adding a second in equally brilliant fashion just before half-time. A Liam Dolman free-kick was headed to him on the edge of the box by Tom Lorraine and with his back to goal he turned and fired in a firm effort that had the keeper beaten but it went just over the angle of post and bar.

Half-time:  AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 – Brackley Town 0

Brackley made a half-time substitution introducing Curtis McDonald and they pushed Diamonds back in the early stages whipping in some dangerous crosses and corners. Matt Finlay punched one clear from right under his bar and former Rushden & Diamonds hero Sam Smith had a fierce effort from the edge of the box deflected over.

The goal Brackley were threatening came on 52 but through a fairly soft penalty. The ball was played into David Moyo inside the box with his back to goal and as he turned he was tripped by a diamonds defender. Moyo stepped up and struck the ball firmly off Matt Finlay’s legs into the centre of the goal.

Brackley continued to dominate this phase and came close to an equaliser on 56 as Eddie Odiambo chased own a loose ball in the box and chipped towards Smith who prodded towards goal where Finlay blocked and Harris completed the goal-line clearance.

Diamonds relieved the pressure with a quick break that won a free-kick 25 yards from goal on 58. It bounced through the penalty area for a trademark late run from Dan Quigley whose low header was just blocked by keeper Hornby.

Diamonds were working hard to deny their confident looking opponents space in the box but were nearly undone on 73 as the ball pinged around the box after another dangerous cross, and was fired onto the cross bar from 15 yards with Matt Finlay beaten.

As Diamonds looked to relieve the pressure Andy Hall controlled and turned well 25 yards out and fired a low daisy cutter that keeper Hornby save low down on 73, and Shawn Richards twisted and turned outside the box feeding Tom Lorraine who fired in low from an angle where Hornby saved.

Brackley broke quickly again though on 80 and put goal scorer Moyo away in the box but his fierce effort over the advancing Finlay just drifted wide of the far post.

The pressure mounted with good Brackley possession but determined defending kept the visitors to dangerous crosses and shots from distance. They came so close to an equaliser on 87 only to be denied by a brilliant finger-tip save by Matt Finlay from a wickedly deflected 20 yard shot.

Despite a couple of heart stopping moments Diamonds hung on to win this high quality cup-tie and reach a first NFA Hiller Cup Final.

Full-time: AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 – Brackley Town 1

This was a much improved performance from Diamonds after the shock 4-0 defeat on Saturday. They were playing high quality opponents and had to up their intensity after a weak start. The return of Dan Quigley gave great energy in midfield and Jack Ashton slotted in perfectly beside Liam Dolman in defence. Goals for both strikers will have pleased Manager Andy Peaks and the continued excellent form of Matt Finlay as the last line of a hard working defence.

The final will be a mouth-watering occasion against Kettering Town at a neutral venue after they beat Rothwell Corinthians on Tuesday night. Next up for Diamonds is a league encounter with Ware at the Dog & Duck on Saturday.

Man of the Match:  Dan Quigley

Attendance: 174

Match Report by Paul Judd

Match Gallery courtesy of Malcolm Swinden Photography (click on the link to access the Diamonds Photo Gallery for more images from this game and ecommerce options). Copyright Mal Swinden ©2016