X- Roads Warriors 1 Tuff Dogs 1 (aet; 1-1 at 90min; Tuff Dogs win 5-3 on penalties)

Corona League outfit Tuff Dogs lived up to their name after producing a stunning FA Cup upset against X-Roads Warriors at Lord’s yesterday.

Substitute Tom Whited headed X-Roads into the lead before Thomas Brown equalised for Tuff Dogs to send the tie into extra time with penalties needed to eventually split the teams.

Tuff Dogs were flawless from 12 yards with substitute Jorge Sanchez, Matthew Gerardo, Jahmir Trott, David Signor and Christopher DeSilva all dispatching their penalty kicks, and their goalkeeper Sean Burgess was also up to the task as he saved Akim Johnston’s effort.

“It feels great to win and the guys gave their all,” said elated Tuff Dogs player-coach Jermaine Gibbons.

“Obviously it’s a Premier Division team and we did what we could. I am just glad the guys put in a good shift. We worked hard and got the victory.”

Tuff Dogs created ample opportunities to have put the game away in regulation but were forced to go the distance after failing to capitalise on them.

“I think it came down to fitness and some other factors but I think we played well,” Gibbons added. “Coach Rogers [player-assistant coach Jensen Rogers] and myself did some tactics and everything played out for itself.”

Rogers, who is coach of Premier Division side Somerset Trojans, also hailed his team’s upset.

“It was a good game. It’s the FA Cup and about the underdog upsetting the apple cart,” said Rogers, who replaced goalscorer Brown shortly after his equaliser.

“Today was about fighting and matching the determination, and that’s what we did and in the end we came out with the victory.

“This is a big victory for a Corona League team and Footy Kings did the same thing last year. They upset a couple of teams along the way in the FA Cup and we are just happy to come down here and get the win.”

X-Roads paid a price for wasting a plethora of chances, particularly in the first half which they dominated.

Winger Charles Whited side-footed Johnston’s pass wide from the left side with the first opportunity at both ends of the match, and fellow winger Rico Beek lobbed wide on a counter-attack down the middle, which caught Tuff Dogs flat-footed.

Burgess then tipped striker Jaman Lottimore’s effort around the post as X- Roads searched for the breakthrough and Tuff Dogs suffered a setback when central defender Luke Morrison went off injured in the eleventh minute.

X-Roads continued to bombard their opponent’s goal with Burgess making back-to-back saves to thwart midfielder Teiko Lowe and Beek, but they were also forced to make an unscheduled change just before the interval when Lottimore pulled a hamstring.

Striker Tom Whited, who replaced the injured Lottimore, finally broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when he headed in Beek’s inch-perfect cross from the left during a fluent attack, but Tuff Dogs came storming back and drew level ten minutes later when Brown tapped in Gary Adams’s pull-back across the goalmouth.

X-Roads midfielder Johnston had a shot tipped over by Burgess while Tuff Dogs midfielder Kyle Hamilton blew two glorious chances at the other end as the game opened up and the home side went closest to scoring in extra time when Charles Whited clipped the bar after wrapping his foot around Beek’s cross.

Trott then sliced wide from the left side of the box with Tuff Dogs’ only real chance in extra time.

Summing up his team’s defeat, X-Roads coach Ralph Bean Jr said: “We came out with a lot of players unavailable, but I still think that we probably should have had the upper hand.

“I think the wind was in our favour first half but we really didn’t take advantage of it. The second half it was the same story; we really didn’t deal with it as should have.

“That’s how the FA Cup is and credit to Tuff Dogs who did a good job. They fought hard, stayed in it and in the end came out with the reward.”

SCORERS

X-Roads Warriors: T Whited 52

Tuff Dogs: Brown 62

TEAMS

X-Roads Warriors (4-3-3): Q Darrell 7 – O Williams 7, D Teleman 7, A Cajee 7, A Matthews 7 – T Daniels 7, T Lowe 7, A Johnston 7 – C Whited 7 (sub: A Spencer, 107min), R Beek 7, J Lottimore 7 (sub: T Whited, 43 7). Substitutes not used: J Smith, D Woolridge. Booked: Matthews.

Tuff Dogs (3-5-2): S Burgess 8 – C Bean 7, L Morrison 7 (sub: A Lee, 11 7 (sub: B Correia, 96 6), G Adams 7 – C DeSilva 7, D Signor 7, M Gerardo 7, C Tulley 6 (sub: J Sanchez, 66 7), K Hamilton 6 (sub: L Simmons, 107) — J Trott 7, T Brown 7 (sub: J Rogers, 66 7). Substitutes not used: J Gibbons, S McKittrick.

Referee: B Hoskins (Canada).