King's Lynn 3 Rye United 1
5th March 2011
EVERY team needs a little luck to win a major trophy and Town had more than their fair share as they moved a step closer to a Wembley final on Saturday.
For the first time this season, the Linnets could have had few complaints if their plucky Sussex visitors had put an end to their impressive home record.
Despite having skipper skipper Shaun Loft sent off for an elbow on Jack Defty early in the game and Danny Ellis dismissed for a stamp on Luke Thurlbourne late on, Rye held the upper hand for much of this contest.
Before his early bath, Ellis could only watch in despair as his effort rebounded back off the post and into the arms of grateful Linnets goal- 4 keeper Alex Street in the 78th minute.
And Quarterboys substitute Danny Leach will forever have nightmares about his late miss when clean through on goal with just Street to beat with the Sussex outfit down to nine men.
Step forward Town supersub Robbie Harris, who continued his incredible scoring record in this season's competition with two extra-time goals.
Although his side hit the woodwork three times themselves, Setchell admitted his players had not performed on the day.
Setchell said: "We can't play that badly again and expect to get to Wembley, but at the same time it's a sign of a good side that we keep managing to win football matches.
"We've ridden our luck for the first time in a long time and I think the sending-offs have hindered us rather than helped us because we panicked and haven't worked hard in the right areas at times. "You have to credit the Rye players for the amount of effort they put in throughout the game but you also have to credit our players for getting over the finishing line.
"I said at half-time that one or two lads looked as though they were suffering with stage fright.
"We didn't pass the ball well enough and didn't defend particularly well. It was probably the first time this season we haven't played well and won."
Losing Rye manager Scott Price, who was disappointed with both of the sending-offs, said: "I think we'd have won the game with 11 men and if we'd held on until half-time at 1-0 I still think we could have won it with ten.
"We silenced the crowd and played to our strengths and you have to take your hat off to my players. Where they got their energy from I just don't know, they just don't seem to know when they are beaten." Lynn were decidedly second best in front of another 1,600 plus home crowd until Spriggs drilled home Jack Defty's neat lay-off from an acute angle on 44 minutes.
Duncan McArthur had earlier lobbed the visitors in front after Rye were reduced to ten_ men on 15 minutes when defender Loft earned a straight red for an elbow on Defty. Ellis was then red carded in the closing stages of normal time for tangling with Luke Thurlbourne.
Predator supreme Harris pounced in either half of extra-time to cap a remarkable comeback from the Linnets. Harris, who converted two delightful passes from Jamie Thurlbourne, has now popped up with the winner for the Linnets in no fewer than four rounds during Town's passage to the last four.
King's Lynn: Street, Doherty (Obgonna 45), Alsop, L Thurlbourne. Buhlemann (Harris 90), Watson, Bexfield, White, Defty, Spriggs (Bacon 105), J Thurlbourne. Subs: McNeil, Hails.
Bookings: Doherty, Watson, Alsop, White. Goals: Sprigss (44), Harris (97, 113).
Rye United: Pelling, Simmonds, Cole, Loft, Richardson, Dixon, Ellis, McArthur (Franklin 84), Upton (Leach 61), Ramsay, McLean (Clarke 105). Subs: Gall. Tuppeney.
Bookings: Cole, McArthur, Dixon. Sending offs: Loft, Ellis. Goal: McArthur (32).
Referee: M Bull (Chelmsford).