BRACKNELL Town FC manager Mark Tallentire praised his team’s spirit and character after seeing them twice come from behind to secure an excellent 3-2 win at Thatcham Town in their FA Cup tie on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

Khalid Senussi and substitute Kennie Chamberlain brought the scores level before Adam Cornell (pictured right, shirtless) snatched a late winner in this extra preliminary round tie.

“The team showed a really lot of good traits,” said Tallentire.

“We had to come back from a couple of setbacks. We didn’t give up and kept to our beliefs – that was a pleasing thing for me – and we played some good football.”

An exciting game between the Hellenic League rivals could have gone either way, but at the end it was the Robins who were chirping louder than the Kingfishers.

“There was not too much to choose between the two sides, but I thought we just about edged it,” added Tallentire.

“Obviously it was a bit concerning to twice go behind, but there was always plenty of time left in the game – 20 minutes after their second goal.”

It was at that time, when the Bracknell manager decided to make changes that were to prove decisive in the end.

He revealed: “We had one or two players sort of flagging and the substitutions we made gave a lot of impetus to the last 15 minutes of our performance. That showed with Kennie’s fantastic individual goal.”

Tallentire also praised match-winner Cornell, commenting: “I don’t know what the temperature was here, but he did really well for the whole 90 minutes.”

There were less than five minutes remaining when the striker took advantage of a misunderstanding in the Thatcham defence to notch the winner.

“He chased a ball down he had no right of winning to score his goal. What an amazing end to the game,” added Tallentire.

“We stuck to our task well and I think we edged the game overall.”

Bracknell’s win earned them £1,500 from the FA Cup prize pool and an away tie with Southern League club Egham in the next round a week on Saturday, August 20.

But that game is not in Tallentire’s thoughts this week, as of more importance are the next two league games.

On Saturday the Robins visit Oxford City Nomads and then next Tuesday evening they play Highmoor Ibis at the club’s temporary home venue, Sandhurst Town’s Bottom Meadow.

Tallentire says he is not planning any more new signings, but will have a larger squad to choose from.

Seb Bowerman and Kensley Maloney are both available for this weekend, while skipper Carl Davies, currently on holiday, will return on Tuesday, when George Short will also have completed his three-match suspension.

“You need a good squad to do well in this league and we have one,” continued Tallentire.

“I have worked on it a long time and I know what’s needed.

“But we shouldn’t get too carried away. Yes, we have won a game and deservedly so, but we shouldn’t go too overboard with it .”