Having been dumped out of two cup competitions within four days and shipping five goals it would be easy to be downhearted as a Rouslers supporter, but this was an entertaining match with a weakened Sporting team more than a match for their higher division opponents. Indeed for large periods of the game, they dominated proceedings but again were let down by failing to convert territory and possession into goals.
After playing second fiddle to their opponents for the first 10 minutes, Highgate took the lead on the 11th somewhat against the run of play when they won a corner at the far end of the ground that Lei Brown headed in off the bar from a few yards out.
Cue for Sporting to make an impact and Reece Hewitt as with previous matches this season was the man of the moment regularly picking the ball up in midfield and spraying delightful passes around to his teammates. It was such moves that gained Sporting the equaliser on 16 minutes when he played a one-two with Sam Wills to get behind the Highgate back four and with only Bradley Catlow between the sticks to beat curled his shot into the top right corner.
Highgate though were determined to regain their lead and forced Sporting 'keeper Josh Moreton into several good saves but the scores remained level at half-time.
Three minutes after the interval, James Cosgrove took a free-kick for the home side from 30 yards out. On the way it took a deflection past Moreton only to hit the post and bounce back into the keeper's welcoming arms.
With the game opening up a bit more, both sides continued to play neat football despite the damp conditions and soft pitch. Sean Brain had a couple of chances for Sporting but it was Highgate who looked more threatening as the half went on and with 70 minutes on the clock they can again consider themselves unlucky when Shane Benjamin's free-kick hit the underside of the bar that Moreton then pushed out for a corner.
However the pressure finally paid off with five minutes of normal time left. Connor Mooney put an elegant cross into the Sporting box that a virtually unmarked Shane Benjamin tapped home from 10 yards out.
Most of the crowd at this point thought it was all over but Sporting took up the challenge and with five minutes added time played, substitute Ethan Hanks evaded the Highgate back four from a free kick to slot home and send the match into extra time.
Unfortunately things didn't go well for the Rouslers, as with just four minutes played, Dale Edwards bought down Benjamin in the box. Lei Brown duly converting the spot kick Four minutes later Mooney beat two markers on the left and from the resulting cross, Benjamin fired in number four.
Hardly surprising with energy at depletion level, the pace of the game slowed considerably with chances coming mainly from long-range efforts. However there was still enough fuel in the tank for Highgate to get number five with one minute remaining courtesy of another Benjamin tap in for his hat-trick from a Mooney cross. Josh McKenzie made the scoreline a little more respectable for Sporting by netting Brain's pass on two added minutes.
There are still two more cup competitions for Sporting to win some silverware this season but league action returns to the Victoria Ground this Saturday with a match against much-improved Pelsall Villa and for Sporting an attempt to gain some ground on the leaders.
Highgate: Bradley Catlow, Tom Lacey, Trevor Edwards (Karl King 68 mins), Scott Turner, Aaron Brown (Capt.), James Cosgrove, Gavin Rodgers (Joe Adams 68 mins), Dale Taylor, Shane Benjamin, Nathan Edgington (Connor Mooney 57 mins), Lei Brown.
Substitutes not used: Nathan Pulisciano, Brad Hayward.
Goals: Rodgers (11 mins), Lei Brown (85 mins), Edgington (95 mins, penalty), Benjamin (99, 119 mins).
Yellows: Rodgers (65 mins), Aaron Brown (69 mins), Lei Brown (90+4 mins)
Sporting: Josh Moreton, James McKeon (Ryan Pierpoint 87 mins), Jack Wilson, Brendan Kelly (Capt.), Aaron Roberts, Luke Dugmore, Dale Edwards, Reece Hewitt, Connor Collins (Josh McKenzie 64 mins), Sam Wills (Ethan Hanks 87 mins), Sean Brain.
Goals: Hewitt (16 mins), Hanks (90+5 mins), McKenzie (120+2 mins)
Substitutes not used: Sam Delaney, Lucky Nwosu
Yellows: Hewitt (29 mins), Dugmore (90+4 mins)
Referee: Mr K Carroll (Acocks Green)
Assistants: Mr M Homer (Rednal), Mr C Thompson (Bromsgrove)
Crowd: ~ 150
Weather: Cool, misty
Sporting MoM: Brendan Kelly
Report: Phil Baker
A hat trick for Shane Benjamin and a double for Lei Brown earned Highgate another cup win.
A hat trick for Shane Benjamin and a double for Lei Brown earned Highgate another cup win but they had to work hard in order to overcome a determined Sporting side who made the most of some poor defending to keep the contest on a knife edge throughout normal time, Gate going on to put the game well beyond the visitor's reach during the thirty minutes added on.
Worryingly though celebrations were to be somewhat muted by the number of walking wounded in need of attention at the end of what had been a thoroughly entertaining one hundred and twenty minutes, manager Ashley Pulisciano left with a potential selection headache when his side travel to fifth placed Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday. Nathan Pulisciano was a late call off following the pre-match warm up Trevor Edwards stepping up from the bench to left back with Tom Lacey moving over to the opposite side, starting places also being given to James Cosgrove, Gavin Rodgers and Nathan Edgington.
Despite the torrential rain and dismal conditions the visitors as always came well supported, the travelling band watching their team make a positive start with Connor Collins' cross screwed behind for a corner off Aaron Brown's boot and Collins earning a second flag kick with a low drive deflected off target. But it was Gate from what was their first meaningful attack who were to take a tenth minute lead. Rodgers' left footed effort off Dale Taylor's pass turned behind off full back Jack Wilson's boot, Lacey lifting over a high looping corner and Brown out jumping defenders who should have done better to send a downward header over keeper Josh Moreton into the top left corner of the net.
Bradley Catlow had no trouble in dealing with Luke Dugmore's twelve yard drive but within five minutes of conceding Sporting were back on level terms with a goal of the highest quality Reece Hewitt ran directly at Gate's back four benefiting from some half hearted tackles before curling his twelve yard shot between Catlow and the keeper's right hand post. The hosts responded with Lacey firing over another lofted corner but this time Moreton was alert enough to claw Aaron Brown's header from under his own cross bar. Taking the conditions into account both sides were persevering with some flowing end to end football, Cosgrave back to halt Dale Edwards strong run and Dugmore's low cross skidding over the face of goal only to elude Sean Brain lurking at the far post.
Edgington beat Moreton in the air the resulting header sailing high over the bar, Lacey's free kick finding Aaron Brown in no man's land but in an offside position. Gate were near to regaining the lead in 40th minute when Rodger's delivery from the left hand side set up Taylor for a header which looked destined for the roof of the net only for Moreton to scramble across and save the day. Aaron Brown and Lacey combined to block Brain's shot at the foot of the upright, and at the end of an evenly balanced half fought between two well matched sides it was perhaps appropriate that the break should come with equilibrium maintained.
HT Highgate United 1 v 1 Bromsgrove Sporting
The second half began with Catlow out of his area to clear a through ball at Collins' feet but Gate had made bright start, Moreton enjoying a moment of good fortune when Lacey's thirty yard free kick crept through a wall of players striking the foot of the post and rebounding into the grateful keeper's hands.
Rodgers was high and wide from twenty five yards out and Lacey hit a cross far too close to the keeper, the pendulum then swinging and it being Sporting's turn to enjoy a really good spell. Brain latched on to a long ball and looked to have rounded Catlow only for the keeper to react well by stretching out an arm to take control. Sporting's pace down the flanks was telling, the home side struggling to contain the up tempo visitors who by now had the edge, Catlow saving from Dugmore and Karl King back to dispossess Dugmore on the break.
Attention then moved to the other end and after substitute Connor Mooney had been fouled thirty yards out Benjamin stepped up to hit an unbelievably ferocious free kick against the underside of the beaten Moreton's cross bar. Sporting substitute Josh McKenzie cleared centre half Scott Turner's header off the line and with Gate's defence exposed Brain was left free to win an aerial duel with Lacey but the header sent narrowly wide.
The miss looked as if it might prove costly when five minutes from the end the lively Mooney burst down the left hand touchline crossing low for Benjamin in the mouth of the goal to crash the ball home. With Sporting's challenge appearing to have petered out and Gate content to play down the clock, just thirty seconds remained when a long ball over the top was misjudged by a back pedalling defence leaving Ethan Hanks with the easiest of tasks to roll in the latest of late equalisers.
Score after 90 minutes: Highgate United 2 v 2 Bromsgrove Sporting
At this stage with another thirty minutes to come, Benjamin and Taylor hobbling and all three substitutes used it seemed an impossibly uphill task for the home side but they were to be given immediate breathing space when with just three minutes of extra time gone Taylor was shoved in the box running on to Cosgrove's pass Brown completing his brace for the night from the resulting penalty. In 97th minute Mooney broke down the left hand touchline turning a couple of defenders inside out before delivering the perfect cross turned in by Benjamin at the foot of the near post.
The second half began with Bromsgrove having strong appeals for a penalty turned down, but it was Gate with the bit between their teeth Joe Adams cross touched on by Benjamin with Taylor unable to force the ball over the line, Benjamin then striking the woodwork off Cosgrave's assist.
At the other end both Aaron Roberts and Dugmore were both wildly high and wide with long range efforts hit more in hope than judgement and with a minute remaining Benjamin left everyone wondering what he might have done if on two legs completing a deserved hat trick by calmly drilling Brown's cross in under Moreton's body. A moment of carelessness from defenders assuming the ball had gone out of play left McKenzie to score what was to prove a mere consolation goal, completing the scoring on a night when Gate had to dig deep for their rewards.
