Bristol Rovers' FA Youth Cup dreams were crushed by Leyton Orient in the final minute of extra time at the Mem on Tuesday, but they can be proud of their efforts in a 4-3 thriller.
Reon Smith-Kouassi – a menace all night for the Os – struck the killer blow in the 120th minute of a fantastic cup tie that swung back and forth, sending Orient into the third round.
The Gas took an early lead through Jamarni Langlais, but Orient responded swiftly through Antonio Clements before goals from Smith-Kouassi and Charlie Pegrum put the visitors in command. Byron Anthony's Gas were not out of the fight, though, and they were sparked into life by a stunning free-kick from 16-year-old Kofi Shaw, who then popped up in the third minute of stoppage time to make it 3-3 and take the tie to extra time.
Penalties were on the cards until Smith-Kouassi found the top corner at the death, sparking scenes of jubilation as the away bench poured onto the pitch. Rovers, meanwhile, were devastated as they fell just short of reaching the third round.
They got the start they desired, though, after Langlais drove towards goal in the third minute and he was hauled to the ground just outside the box. From the ensuing cross, the powerful striker got across his man at the front post and he headed the ball into the top corner to give the Gas the lead.
But the Os took little time to respond, equalising in style in the 10th minute. A shot from Smith-Kouassi was blocked on the edge of the area but it landed kindly for Antonio Clements to strike first time and the midfielder lashed the ball beyond Mason and into the bottom corner.
Rovers had one or two moments on the counter, but it was Orient who were in the ascendancy, posing the more difficult questions to the Gas defence. Mason did brilliantly to get off his line quickly and smother Thomas Avgoustidis’ shot after he raced onto a flick-on, but the ball broke kindly to Pegrum and Rovers were relieved to see him put his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Eleven minutes before half time, Orient should have hit the front. Left-back Charlie White gave the ball away in his own area and Smith-Kouassi pounced with Pegrum joining him in the area for company. It appeared a certain goal, but the pull-back was behind the arriving midfielder, who had Mason on his back by the time he turned and collected the loose pass. The chance still was alive but Smith-Kouassi could not hit the target with a sprawling Mason in his face.
Mason was responsible again for keeping Rovers level five minutes shy of the pause, getting down to his left to palm Avgoustidis’ 20-yarder wide of the post. It was going to take a piece of quality or fortune to beat the keeper in this form, and Orient went ahead with a stroke of the latter in the 42nd minute. Jerry Lawrence, who has featured for the first-team this season and is highly rated by Joey Barton, had the ball stolen off him in midfield and the break ended with Smith-Kouassi’s shot on the spin taking a cruel deflection off a defender and bouncing over the outstretched arm of Mason.
The manner of the goal was unfortunate, but Orient’s lead was deserved and they continued in the same vein after half time. They thought they had extended their advantage 12 minutes into the second period but Ayodele Ojo was flagged for offside after bundling home a cross.
A third goal did arrive soon after, however. With 25 minutes to play, the Gas were starting to come back into the contest but Orient went route one and Will Larvin could not deal with a bouncing ball. Smith-Kouassi snared possession and teed up Pegrum, whose shot from 16 yards proved to be just too strong for Mason, who got a foot on it but could not keep it out.
But the Gas remained spirited and they kept the cup tie alive with a moment of brilliance from Shaw 18 minutes from time. Rovers won a foul 25 yards from goal and the midfielder mustered a swerving, dipping strike that cleared the wall and ducked under the crossbar, leaving goalkeeper Noah Phillips with no chance.
Shaw came within an inch or two of an equaliser moments later only for a deflected cross was just out of his reach, but in stoppage time he would be the man that sent the tie to extra time. Lewis Pinchard held the ball up before picking out the surging run of White, and the left-back delivered the perfect cross for playmaker Shaw to make it a brace and force an extra half an hour.
A small but lively crowd became hushed as extra time began, with the tie poised on a knife edge. Neither side was willing to gamble, forging only a couple of half-chances apiece and it seemed penalties were a certainty.
But Smith-Kouassi had the final say, pouncing on a loose ball and firing into the top corner at the near post in the final minute of extra time. Rovers were heartbroken as their dreams of a third-round tie disappeared, but they can be proud of their efforts.
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