It took an unprecedented 32 kicks from the penalty spot before Petersfield Samba Boys clinched victory in their Lendore Village Football League's knockout fixture against Joga Boyz at the Chrissie Terrace Recreation Ground in Enterprise on Wednesday.
Despite being treated to an entertaining contest, fans could not have predicted the drama that would later unfold after the match ended in a 2-2 stalemate. First half strikes by Kyron Sutherland and Dwayne Brookes gave Samba Boys the early initiative but Derren Smart produced strikes on either side of the interval, one being an 80th minute penalty, to send the match to a penalty kick shoot-out to decide a winner.
Samba Boys was without the services of their regular custodian but replacement Daniel Emery, along with Joga Boyz goalkeeper, Ronald Lynch, showed flashes of brilliance between the uprights during regulation time, leaving an air of anticipation as to who was going to win the battle of keepers in the ensuing shoot-out. What transpired, however, was a far cry from what was anticipated.
Sutherland, Brookes, Miguel Wilson, Nehru Singh and Anderson Cambridge successfully converted Samba Boys first five kicks while Smart, Daniel Wells, Dwayne Wells, Leon Wylie and Trevis Richards matched their opponents from the penalty spots.
With the penalty shoot-out having progressed to sudden death, Wade Hackett, Brian Pascal, Lester Hackette, Kareem Valley, Dillon Glenn and Emery would ensure Samba Boys stayed alive by placing their spot kicks past Lynch. But, as if engaged in a game of tit for tat, Joga Boyz replied with successful conversions from Javed Elcock, Sandy Mitchell, Isaiah Toussaint, Darieon Bernard, Asa Joseph and Lynch to leave the match interestingly poised as all 11 players who finished the match for both team had converted from the penalty spot. Referee Ellis Thomas conferred with the teams and the sudden death shoot-out continued with players having a second go at it.
Samba Boys made a goalkeeping change as Pascall took over the glove work from Emery while Cambridge, Wilson, Brookes, Sutherland and Singh was once again perfect form the spot. For Joga Boyz, Smart, Richards, Elcock and Toussaint matched their counterparts but Mitchell, taking what was the 32nd spot kick, would place his effort onto the right upright to register the first miss and hand Samba Boys the victory.
What was ironic was that all the good efforts by both goalkeepers during the match could not be duplicated in the shoot-out as neither of them managed to effect a save.
And in Tuesday's knockout fixture, league champions FC Hard Knocks began their hunt for the double by firing four answered goals past Jordan Trace CRIL. Kurt Wilshire notched a brace while Jamal Lucas and Kevon Woodley had one goal apiece.