Young keeps Flackwell's FA Cup dream alive with late equaliser against Bracknell

Flackwell’s Matty Ayres in action against Bracknell Town. Photo credit: Jeremy Vaughan @jezz_takes_pics (instagram)

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Flackwell Heath 1, Bracknell Town 1

Flackwell Heath will be in the draw for this afternoon’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round matches after substitute Connor Young forced home a late chance to seal a 1-1 draw at home to step 3 side Bracknell Town.

This was a third qualifying round encounter that Matt Saunders’ visitors controlled for the most part and deservedly led early in the second half when Alfie Pavey headed home Francis Amartey’s left-wing cross.

However. Flackwell’s second half substitutions gave them a little more impetus as they chased the game in the closing stages, and two of them combined for the equaliser with Jack Shakespeare crossing for Young to steal in at the back post and score from close range.

The Heathens pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages, and probably should have won it when Matty Ayres side-footed wide from just outside of the six-yard box - with almost all of the goal to aim at - but that result would have been harsh on Bracknell, who had the measure of their opponents for most of the game.

The first half was a more even affair - even if Bracknell did look the more likely scorers. The best chances fell their way with Pavey backheeling the ball into the back of the net in the 13th minute only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.

Amartey then danced his way to the edge of the box before firing goalwards in the 21st minute, but a brave block in the area saw the ball deflected behind for a corner.

Flackwell then lost their left-back Lewis Patrick due to illness. He’d asked for his inhaler earlier in the half but wasn’t able to recover sufficiently to continue before being replaced by Sean McGuinness. Credit to the Flackwell backroom team who took their time with him to ensure he was ok before making the replacement.

The Heathens had few chances of note, aside from a Charlie Bacon shot from the edge of the area late on that was deflected into the hands of Michael Eacott.

The goal Bracknell’s overall play deserved arrived just four minutes into the second half, when Pavey was able to find space in the box to loop a header over Jack Brooker from Amartey’s cross.

You sensed Flackwell needed to make a change and this they did, bringing on Shakespeare for Bacon and Young for Harlem Hale, who didn’t have one of his better games for Flackwell having scored three in five coming into the tie.

There was one contentious moment involving Hale before he came off when, in the 65th minute, he appeared to be tripped while trying to get on the end of clever pass through the Bracknell lines. The referee waved away appeals and play continued, and - surprisingly - there also weren’t too many complaints from the player or the Flackwell bench.

Bracknell will be disappointed they weren’t able to force a few more clear-cut chances during this period of control; however, credit should perhaps go to Callum Mapley and Lewis Pegg who kicked and headed away ball after ball into their area.

It looked like they might be capable of sitting on their lead and seeing the game out for a professional victory, however, Flackwell had other ideas.

In the 81st minute they worked the ball well down the right and Shakespeare cut the ball back for Young, who was able to force the ball home at the back post to make it 1-1.

Flackwell now had their tails up. Matty Ayres was nudged over in the box, to loud appeals from the home crowd and bench, however, it would have been soft had it been awarded. In the 90th minute, Shakespeare crossed the ball in and Pegg failed to connect with his shot when well placed.

One more huge chance fell their way in the final moments of the match when another cross was parried out to Ayres, who looked certain to score, but he side-footed wide of the mark.

It felt like a missed opportunity, but only time will tell if that is the case. The two sides will face off against each other once again in Tuesday evening’s replay at Bottom Meadow (7.45pm kick-off).

The FA Cup draw will take place this afternoon from 2pm.