Spot-kick joy for EP in O’Hara Cup

EP made heavy weather of progressing as the tie should have been all over at half-time, if truth be told, but missed chances almost cost the hosts their last-eight berth.

EP were on the front foot early on as Joe Shelley’s drive was blocked in the second minute.

The hosts had a reasonable claim for a penalty in the 11th minute as Adam Hunt and Fred Foreman worked an opening down the right wing for the former to cross to Liam Baitup, whose near-post header appeared to be cleared off the line by a Selsey hand, but to no avail.

Sam Joyce in the Selsey goal had to be on his toes to parry a Baitup effort in the 16th minute minute and Foreman tested the visiting stopper just a minute later. The woodwork then came to the visitors’ rescue after 23 minutes as Marc Pullan’s prod at the back post was denied.

The breakthrough eventually came with eight first half minutes remaining as Foreman was given the time to turn and fire through a forest of defensive legs past Joyce.

Selsey started the second period a little livelier when James Parsons hit the bar with a dipping shot with Joel Harding beaten, but the game was becoming scrappy as referee Marc Meeton’s yellow card got a repeated airing.

EP must have rued their squandering of chances in the 72nd minute as Billy Franks was beaten in the air with a flick-on that landed in the prolific Rob Wimble’s path and the much-travelled striker placed the ball neatly inside Harding’s far post.

EP thought they had won the game with two minutes left on the clock but Baitup was rightly flagged offside with extra-time now inevitable.

Baitup had a chance to put the hosts ahead in the 104th minute as he latched onto Pullan’s through ball, but he dragged his shot wide and things went from bad to worse for Dominic Di Paola’s men when Adam Hunt lashed out at Jack Bingham and saw a straight red card with 13 minutes left to play.

Penalties arrived, with the goalkeepers clearly doing more training on this area of the game than their counterparts.

But with the scores at 3-3 in sudden death, Harding saved Selsey skipper Matt Wood’s tame effort to allow Kevin Keehan to take East Preston through.

Di Paola said after the game: “We tried something new today which worked in the first half but didn’t quite click after that, but obviously I’m pleased to have got the result.”

East Preston will host either St Francis Rangers or Lancing in the quarter-finals. They meet in their third-round tie later this month.

East Preston entertain lowly Hailsham in County League Division 1 on Saturday.