So the FA Vase began this weekend and I was beginning my trail at my local side Southend Manor as they hosted West Essex at Southchurch Park.
Manor are looking far more solid this season after two or three seasons of struggle, whilst visitors West Essex begin their first ever venture into the Vase after promotion from the Intermediate Level of football last season but had lost their last three games after a pretty decent start to life in Senior Football.
This was still a hard one to call though as both teams looked fairly well matched and the first ten minutes suggested a tight contest as the game endured a fairly quiet opening with Manor having the only real opening but saw Michael Hopkins fail to convert from close range.
But then on 12 minutes came the opening goal, and it went to the hosts, as a Hopkins flick on found Matt Keiller who scuffed an effort past Stephen Reynolds from close range and from that moment on the hosts pretty much had the upper hand in this contest, quickly doubling their lead three minutes later as Eamon Payne headed home a looping cross from the left.
The visitors just could not respond and midway through the first half fell further behind when a poor back header went straight to the feet of Callum Ibe and although his effort was saved by Reynolds, Hopkins followed up to knock the ball home. And then just past the half hour mark it was four as after good work by Ibe on the right, his cross found Daniel Okah who had the easiest tap in from a yard out.
Manor kept searching for more goals before half time and should of found a fifth as another poor defensive mistake allowed Ibe in on goal but Reynolds made a great save and then moments later brilliant football from Manor from back to front saw a bullet of a shot well saved by Reynolds.
However the West Essex stopper could do nothing to prevent Manor adding a fifth in first halfstoppage time as more breathtaking football from the hosts saw Hopkins in and lob over a stranded Reynolds and send the home side in five goals up at the break. Manor had been guilty of lacking a cutting edge in front of goal in previous games so they were certainly putting that right today and had pretty much cemented their passage into the next round already.
Half Time Southend Manor 5 West Essex 0
The second would start pretty much as the first began, quiet. The visitors did muster the first attempt on goal in the second period after an an hour, hitting an effort straight at Ryan Karrer but the game remained 5-0 to hosts and they were just going through the motions it seemed.
The half continued in it’s fairly quiet subdued way as the game had become rather flat. With around fifteen minutes to go Manor almost got in as substitute Abiola Tanimowo out muscled adefender but then misconnected with the ball and then the visitors almost pulled one back as they got in behind the Manor backline but Karrer came out to make a super save on the edge of his box to maintain the clean sheet.
However the hosts restored their control on the tie with a sixth goal on 79 minutes when the pacey Rhys Fatt, on as subtitute, got clear of the defence and slotted a finish beyond Reynolds and in off the inside of the post. Soon after this West Essex saw Oz Stroud sent off for an appalling tackle on Manor defender Robbie Norris and then a couple of minutes later Manor went down to ten men after Aundre Spencer was sent off for a second booking for dissent.
The game was to end though with another Manor goal as they capped a marvellous performance when Tanimowo got clean through and he made no mistake by slotting home beyond an exposed Reynolds and saw Manor cruise through to host Intermediate Side Canning Town in the Second Qualifying Round.
Full Time Southend Manor 7 West Essex 0
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