X-Roads 3 Dandy Town 3

(after extra time; 2-2 at 90min; X-Roads win 4-2 on penalties

Dashun Cooper was X-Roads spot-kick hero as he led his side to a dramatic victory over Dandy Town in the FA Cup semi-final at Goose Gosling Field last night.

Cooper made two flying saves to first deny Treadwell Gibbons and then Lynn Emery during the penalty shoot-out to win 4-2 and send X-Roads into their first FA Cup final on April 14 at the National Stadium.

X-Roads, whose three victories in 2019 have all come in the FA Cup, will meet the winner of Robin Hood and BAA, who face each other in the semi-final at PHC Field today.

Town could have been forgiven for thinking they had one foot in the final, leading 2-1 with just seconds of added time remaining, but were left stunned when Tymon Daniels struck with a right-footed volley to make it 2-2.

Angelo Simmons restored Town’s lead in the 95th minute but X-Roads found a leveller for the third time in the game through Donavan Thompson towards the end of the first half of extra time.

“This club has given me so much and I’m just pleased to be able to give something back,” Cooper said after his FA Cup heroics. “To be able to help the club reach their first FA Cup final is amazing.”

Cooper, who has excelled since joining X-Roads after stints at Robin Hood and Devonshire Cougars, said he tried not to commit himself before the ball was kicked during the penalty shoot-out.

“I just tried to stay on my feet for as long as possible,” he said. “In our past shoot-outs, I think I’ve gone down a bit too early.

“I tried to stand up and read [the penalty taker] up until the absolute last second. I didn’t expect to save two [penalties] and I’m just over the moon.”

For Cooper, the semi-final win capped off a busy day of football activity as he had been helping coach the Next Generation Onions in the Kappa Classic at the National Sports Centre earlier in the day.

“It’s been a helluva day; my under-15 side made the semi-final at the Kappa Classic,” said the 25-year-old. “It’s been a really long day and it was hard to stay focused, but I had to push through.”

Daeshun Butterfield gave Town the lead from a back-heel finish in the 24th minute but X-Roads piled on the pressure, especially during the second half, with Paul Simons heading home an equaliser in the 70th minute.

When Simmons scored with a low drive into the bottom left-hand corner in the 78th minute it seemed as though Town had done enough to ensure their place in the final.

Daniels had other ideas, however, firing past the diving Jaiden Manders in the Town goal to send the game into extra time and penalties where Cooper stepped up to do the rest.

“[Cooper] was outstanding in the penalties and I’m very proud of him,” Farid El Karfa, the X-Roads coach, said. “Those two saves [in the penalty shoot-out] ... what more can you ask from a goalkeeper.”

SCORERS

X-Roads

Simons 71, Daniels 90+4

Thompson 103

Dandy Town

Butterfield 24, Simmons 79, 95

TEAMS

X-Roads (4-4-2): D Cooper — L Simmons, J Furbert, K Wilkinson, A Burgess — T Daniels, P Richardson (sub: T Lowe, 106min), J Bean (sub: J Sanchez, 78min), N Richardson (sub: Q Darrell, 62) — P Simons, D Thompson. Substitutes not used: R Beek, A Heyliger. Booked: Simmons.

Dandy Town (3-5-3): J Manders — A Furbert, S Darrell, M Parsons — D Ming, D Butterfield (sub: T Manders, 60), J Swan, L Emery, E Blankendal (sub: O Wilson, 82; sub: T Gibbons, 116) — K Steede, A Simmons. Substitutes not used: N Smith, K Simons, K Lathan.

Referee: A Francis.