Well this really was game of two (or should that be four?) halves. It took 120 minutes and penalties but in the end Beaconsfield prevailed and now face an away tie at Wantage Town on September 3rd.
The first half belonged to the hosts and they took the lead with just over sixty seconds on the clock as a cross from the left found Anaclet Odhiambo who evaded his marker to nod home. Odhiambo also went close a quarter of an hour later and Marlow finally extended their lead on 21 minutes when Allen Bossman reacted quickest to a deflected cross to slot past Jake Soutter.
Beaconsfield were really struggling to get any sort of fluency to their play and were indebted to Soutter on 36 minutes as he dived bravely to deny Odhiambo.
A half time double substitution and reshuffle by The Rams, however, completely transformed the game. Beaconsfield looked and played like a different team! Ryan Hill sent a shot just over on 48 minutes and five minutes later Nathan Minhas managed to poke home after the ball had pinged around The Blues area. 2-1, game on.
Soutter had to be alert on 62 minutes to keep out a well executed Marlow corner routine and then two minutes later Hill sent a header crashing against the Marlow bar. Bossman for Marlow then hit the Beaconsfield bar when it looked easier to score whilst Marcus Mealing forced Soutter into action on 74 minutes. However, the end to end nature of the game saw The Rams grab an equaliser a minute later when a Spencer Maw cross caused chaos in the Marlow area and amongst the bedlam Ollie McCoy managed slot the ball past Simon Grant.
Marlow came back at their visitors and the Beaconsfield defence on more than one occasion literally threw themselves into blocking opportunities, showing 100% commitment to the cause. Charlie Losasso saw a long range 79th minute shot go close whilst Hill saw one saved by Grant two minutes later. A good run and cross by Ryan Haugh saw the ball land at Josh Dillon's feet but was scooped over the bar whilst the 90th minute saw the normally reliable Losasso somehow spurn a glorious chance to put the game beyond Marlow.
The first period of extra time saw a visibly tiring Beaconsfield struggle to contain a recharged Blues. Jordan Brown went very close on 94 mins as Marlow turned up the pressure. On 102 minutes a quickly taken free kick caught Beaconsfield sleeping and Bossman fired home to restore Marlow's lead.
The final fifteen minutes saw The Rams get a "second wind", their determination not to roll over a credit to the players, management and team spirit. On 110 minutes a seemingly harmless free kick some forty yards out was sent into the Marlow area by Losasso and eluded everyone to nestle in the net. You don't see many of those!
And so to penalties. Ryan Hill went first for The Rams and easily beat Grant. Mealing - who'd skied one over the bar on Sunday in the first game - repeated the feat sending the ball into the car park. Losasso and Callum Mapley then scored for Beaconsfield as did Chris Ovenden and Bossman for The Blues. Beaconsfield Captain Aaron Minhas then stepped up but sent his effort to join Mealing's in the car park. Ollie McCoy then slotted past Grant with the aid of the post meaning Sam Bangura had to score. He didn't. The Rams were through. Phew!
This game carried every emotion that makes the FA Cup so great - despair and delight, determination and defiance and in the end delirium at getting the result. Let's hope this victory can be the springboard to kick start Beaconsfield's season.
Come On You Rams!
1. Jake Soutter
2. Callum Mapley
3. Matthew Peake-Pijen (Sub: Oliver McCoy, 46)
4. Callum Ferguson (Sub: Ryan Hill, 46)
5. Josh Gibbens
6. Guri Demuria
7. Aaron Minhas (Captain)
8. Charlie Losasso
9. Nathan Minhas (Sub: Josh Dillon, 80)
10. Spencer Maw
11. Ryan Haugh
Sub Not Used: Harry Mepham
Attendance: 114
Updated 11:41 - 24 Aug 2016 by Daryl Smith