How Lewes suffered an FA Cup-set at hands of Harefield United

After 120 minutes of high-intensity football and bucketloads of chances for the Rooks, it was Harefield goalkeeper Tom Clark who sealed the tie with two penalty saves from Marcus Sablier and James Jeffrey, before David Taylor converted the winning kick to set up a tie at Hastings in the next round.

As manager Craig Nelson later acknowledged, the Rooks only had themselves to blame for not taking their chances on an evening where the possibility of an early exit never looked too apparent.

Following the disappointment of the original weekend encounter in Middlesex, when Danny Bassett’s 83rd-minute goal secured them a 1-1 draw, the Rooks returned to familiar pastures intent to make things much easier against the Combined Counties Premier Division North side.

Despite their previous result, manager Craig Nelson largely kept faith with the same side used on the north outskirts of London, with Josh Williams and Tolu Ladapo again preferred on the wings, while the only change saw Marcus Sablier replace Eddie Allsopp.

Lewes had all the chances of the early stages, with Ladapo blazing over the crossbar after finding space and Parish Muirhead flagged offside as he slotted a finish under Harefield goalkeeper Tom Clark.

This was the first of five offside calls made against the Rooks in the first half, which often cost them in dangerous attacks.

Steadily, though, the hosts were gnawing away at Harefield and in the 14th minute, only a fantastic tackle from all-action away captain George Nicholas denied Alfie Allen an opener.

Captain Danny Bassett then had a golden couple of chances before the half hour, with one fashioned from his brilliance as he flicked an overhead backheel onto the crossbar, while the other was a poor miss after Ladapo squared to him with the goal begging.

The chances kept flowing, and Allen struck powerfully wide in the late stages while Harefield also had opportunities, with Lenny Farhall’s effort from a tight angle saved by Toby Bull and Jack Hutchinson firing wide after a lax Lewes goal kick.

Ultimately, though, the half finished in further frustration for Lewes.

This continued after the break, with Ladapo crossing brilliantly for Bassett but the striker just a yard behind the ball, and the Rooks teetering on the edge in defence too.

From a simple lofted pass to Farhall, Harefield were away in the 51st minute with just Bull to beat, and Lewes had to thank their lucky stars that the young ‘keeper spread himself wide to only give away a corner.

Bull then had to be brave to put his body in the way of a far-post scramble, risking serious peril as Harefield were throwing everything at getting a leg up in the tie.

The introduction of Allsopp, so often Lewes’ magic man this season, changed the tide on the hour mark.

With the midfielder taking the place of Williams, he pounced on Harefield’s willingness to defend out wide by cutting in at every given chance.

This opened up space for Lewes’ other midfielders to operate, and Muirhead had three efforts in the space of seven minutes, with one spilt by Clark, one blocked and one flying just wide.

Allsopp’s trickery also opened space for Bassett, who pounced on a deflected ball to strike first time and draw a good save.

Lewes also looked good aerially, and came close to stabbing in two sumptuously inswinging corners from the left, while Allsopp also headed over a cross from fellow substitute Malachi Morris.

Then came a magnificent chance for Allsopp from the same position on the right of the six-yard box, but he failed to get a connection on Allen’s fabulous cross.

To their credit, Harefield defended superbly throughout, throwing themselves at anything that came Clark’s way, and they got their reward by securing extra time.

Again, the story was one of Lewes control, with Muirhead smashing another shot from distance which Clark tipped wide, and substitute James Jeffrey almost stabbing in from a corner.

At the other end, though, Bull had to be alert to prevent a fantastic looped pass from being converted by Jayde Crotty.

In a final attempt to prevent the dreaded penalty shoot-out, Ben Mundele lifted an early narrowly over the bar from 18 yards, while Bassett lashed an effort into the side-netting from Jeffrey’s knock-down.

In a moment of tragi-comedy too, the best move of the game set Morris in to score in the 121st minute, but he suffered the double irony of being offside and missing the target.

Thus, the tie would have to be decided from the spot.

Charlie Malin converted first for Harefield, then Allsopp lifted above Clark’s outstretched arms.

Armando Pires Costa scored and shushed the crowd before Sablier was denied from the same spot as Allsopp.

Bull got revenge by palming away Joel Jacobs’ kick before Matty Warren levelled the scores at 2-2.

Naz Miah struck the best penalty of the lot into the top left corner, and when it mattered most, Jeffrey was stopped low to Clark’s left.

David Taylor only needed to score to win the tie, and that he did, sealing the sweetest of cup upsets for the Middlesex side.

While Taylor and Clark were mobbed by their teammates and Harefield celebrated reaching the Second Qualifying Round for just the seventh time in their 156-year history, and first since the 2012-13 season, there was obvious disappointment for Lewes.

This is the third time in five seasons that the Rooks have suffered an exit in the First Qualifying Round, with improvement needed in their cup performances as a whole.

However, as Isthmian Premier Division leaders, Nelson’s side should go to Carshalton Athletic with plenty of confidence this Saturday for a much-anticipated league encounter, kicking off at 3PM.

Lewes FC: Bull, Puemo (Hutchinson, 91’), Enkh, Warren, Kaiser, Sablier, Bassett (C), Williams (Allsopp, 60’), Allen (Mundele, 98’), Ladapo (Morris, 76’), Muirhead (Jeffrey, 98’). Unused: Ghannam, Olds

Harefield United FC: Clark, Bailey, Brophy, Jacobs, Taylor, Green, Malin, Hutchinson, Chendlik (Crotty, 73’), Nicholas (C) (Miah, 91’), Farhall (Pires Costa, 90’). Unused: Jones, Farrer, Coulter, Julienne