A drop into Step 4 means an earlier entry into the FA Cup, and for the second weekend in a row this meant a trip to South Essex, this time to face Essex Senior League (Step 5) side Benfleet.
Benfleet had progressed after defeating Woodford Town and were in the prelim round for the first time in their history. Expectation at their Woodside Park ground was high.
After the stop start nature of the opening league game Tom made 4 changes with starts for Mitchell, Aresti, Sambu and Agyemang
Boro lined up:
Reuben Rabstein; Dan Carey-Evans; Alaa Oujdi; J’Ardell Stirling; Scott Mitchell; Jorge Djassi-Sambu; Tosin Olufemi; George Aresti; Derek Asamoah; Demmy Nicolaou; Fred Agyemang
Subs: Enrique Kalsi; Stephane Mgbada; Manny Yeboah; Ebenezer Addo Kuffour; Richard Ennin; Akiljo Balliu; Alex Nicolaides
From the off this was a more confident Boro. Enjoying better possession against their initially circumspect hosts the ball spent much of the early stages in the attacking third. Asamoah’s movement was particularly noteworthy and the Benfleet keeper was forced into a couple of initial saves.
The home side grew into the game and really should have taken the lead. A low cross evaded everyone except an attacker at the far post, but with the goal gaping he could only hit it into the ground. Carey-Evans recovered and hacked the ball away as it trickled towards the line.
Dan was soon in the thick of the action again, this time managing to get in front of an attacker at the near post to prevent an effort coming in on goal.
At the other end Boro were still looking threatening. Agyemang fired over when well placed, as did Aresti, and Sambu had a low effort comfortably saved.
But the nature of Boro’s play got the goal it deserved on 35 minutes. Aresti drove forward from midfield and after his pass was blocked back to him on the edge the area he tucked a well placed shot into the corner.
By half time Boro had doubled their lead, but not before Asamoah had hit the post with a wormburner. Though he didn’t need to wait long to open his account for the season, controlling, turning and shooting from 18 yards to the keeper’s left.
The second half began with a warning for Boro. A neat Benfleet move ended with a free header that was put a whisker over. And on 54 minutes Boro got a bigger wake up call. Oujdi dived in to a challenge out wide, leaving a Benfleet player in a heap. As players jostled to say their piece, the referee, after consulting with his well-placed linesman, issued a straight Red card.
But, what might have been an extremely tricky last half hour, ended up being Boro’s most comfortable period of the afternoon.
Tom introduced fresh legs in Ennin and Yeboah, and as the heat started to play a bigger part in sapping the energy of the home side Boro managed to extend their lead. Asamoah was again instrumental, receiving the ball centrally. He spotted a run into the area from Ennin, scooped a ball through, and Ennin flicked the ball over the onrushing keeper to make it 3-0.
Boro were happy to sit a little deeper and as Benfleet grew a little more weary were able to defend their goal relatively comfortably. Rabstein was called on a couple of times, but largely only to make routine saves.
With 15 minutes to go the game was made entirely safe. Boro had been having a lot of joy on the right flank but for once were able to find both the right ball, and the finish with Sambu timing his run to the far post perfectly.
Addo and Mgbada came on for the final 15 minutes and again, the input of fresh legs meant Boro maintained their control.
There was a bizarre booking for Stirling, and Nicolaides coming in before the game entered added time, but there was still time for plenty more action.
Nicolaides was crudely upended as he broke towards the Benfleet box, and at the other end a rash challenge saw the hosts awarded a free kick 20 yards out. The term “postage stamp” was invented for free kicks like this. Rabstein was given little chance as the ball crashed in off the underside of the bar. It was no more than Benfleet had deserved after the chances they had created in the first half.
But Boro still had time to get one more. Breaking from a Benfleet free kick Mgbada had the composure to pick out Yeboah in the area to finish the game.
The ref’s whistle blew as soon as the ball hit the net to give Boro a confidence boosting 5-1 victory and a place in the First Qualifying Round. Match to be played weekend August 31st.
Att: 322
