Striker Cliff Akurang was the latest Chelmsford City player to secure hero status with a crucial late goal, his 84th-minute header edging the Clarets past their well-matched Gloucester City opponents to book a First Round Proper clash at home to Blue Square Bet Premier club AFC Telford United.

 

Akurang was dismissed in injury time during the sides’ initial encounter at Melbourne on Saturday but his perfect response sealed a five-figure prize money sum for the club and lined-up a test against the Shropshire side from a step higher on 12th November. Boss Glenn Pennyfather was rightfully proud of his players and he claimed that an additional 30 minutes of extra time was never in his script.

 

“It was an absolutely magnificent performance,” he explained at full time. “Gloucester came out of the blocks early for the first 20 minutes after our long journey and asked us a lot of questions. But we weathered the storm and I knew we’d get stronger, particularly in the last 20. It’s testament to the defence that we kept another clean sheet and it’s another match to add to our growing unbeaten run.”

 

Ben Nunn was fielded at right-back in place of Justin Miller, who suffered an injury during the second half of Saturday’s meeting. Greg Morgan had also received a knock, so his position wide in midfield was taken by Warren Whitely. Nunn and his fellow defenders were occupied from the start as Gloucester summoned some early pressure with a flurry of corner kicks. The rest of the half, however, was quiet.

 

On 26 minutes, Gloucester threatened when Captain Tom Webb saw his snap-shot fly over while, at the other end, it was Akurang with the first attempt for Chelmsford as his low, 33rd-minute strike finished narrowly wide. Former Claret Matthew Lock brought a decent save from Stuart Searle five minutes before the interval, the goalkeeper pushing his drive wide, but the game remained goalless at half time.

 

Perhaps it was with an element of tension at getting so far and not wanting to give anything away that the second period was even tighter than the first. A smattering of half-chances was the only action served-up from an evenly poised tie until the 73rd minute when a dead ball was delivered into the Gloucester box. Custodian Lewis Carey failed to deal with it and Kezie Ibe nodded off-target.

 

Lock was again presented with a chance to open the scoring for the hosts and substitute Charlie Reece also struck wide first-time but, even with just a few minutes left, Glenn wasn’t planning for extra time. “We’d put crosses into their box which they hadn’t dealt with,” he recalled, “and we knew if we kept going we could make a breakthrough, although we still had to make sure we didn’t concede at the other end.”

That crucial goal eventually arrived with six minutes left. Ricky Modeste provided the assist with a supreme delivery from the left-hand side which was floated into Akurang, who got in-between a pair of defenders to head past Carey. Two minutes later, Tom Hamblin rattled the post to keep the Clarets on their toes, but Pennyfather’s defence had stayed resolute all game and they were in no mood to relent.

 

Glenn summarised: “Now we’re in a position to look forward to the Telford game, and I’m delighted for everyone at the club that we’ve reached the First Round Proper again - the management, the staff, the players and, most of all, the supporters. They were exceptional and sang from the start to the end. Anything we achieve from now on is a bonus, so our next priority is six points from two tough league games.”

 

City:

 

1 Stuart Searle

2 Ben Nunn

3 Aiden Palmer

4 Adam Tann (C)

5 Kenny Clark

6 Warren Whitely

7 Ricky Modeste

18 Sam Corcoran

9 Kezie Ibe

10 Max Cornhill

11 Cliff Akurang

 

12 Joe Benjamin

14 Tyrone Scarlett

15 Jermaine Brown

16 Mark Haines

17 Craig Parker

19 Lewis Batchford (GK)

 

Gloucester City: Lewis Carey, Mike Green, Tyler Weir, Matt Coupe, Tom Hamblin, Tom Webb (C) (Steve Davis, 85), Matthew Lock, Darren Mullings, Darren Edwards, Will Morford, Adam Mann (Charlie Reece, 55). Unused Substitutes: Sam Rawlings, Matt Rose, Ben Hunt, Jack Harris, Neil Mustoe.

 

Bookings: Chelmsford: Whitely (7, foul), Cornhill (87, delaying the restart of play). Gloucester: Hamblin (70, foul).

 

Referee: Lee Swabey (Plymouth).

 

Assistant Referees: Paul Lister (Exeter) and Mark Lawrence (Bridgwater).

 

Fourth Official: Adam Matthews (Stroud).

 

Attendance: 490.

 

City Man of the Match: Adam Tann and Kenny Clark.