Swaffham Town 0 Stowmarket Town 0 (aet)

Buildbase FA Vase Third Round Proper, Saturday 1st December 2018

Swaffham Town and Stowmarket Town will have to do it all again on Tuesday after the sides battled out a goalless draw after extra time in their huge Buildbase FA Vase Third Round tie at Shoemakers Lane.

Swaffham had seen off fellow step six outfit May & Baker in the last round to reach this stage and they now had another tough tie against Stow who were going for promotion in the Eastern Counties League Premier, so not unsurprisingly the visitors were seen as favourites to progress into the Last 32 of the competition.

Visitors Stow had seen off Baldock Town after extra time in the previous round to set up this Norfolk vs Suffolk clash, and with both teams being the last sides from their respective counties it was important in that sense too as well as pride.  So, although the visitors held the favourites tag, this was cup football so you could not rule out a surprise here.

The visitors did have the first chance early on when Jack Baker sent a header wide, whilst down the other end the hosts also saw a looping header go over the goal as the opening fifteen minutes saw both sides playing with a decent tempo.

The next period of play saw the hosts come close a couple of times as they had a decent spell, one effort beaten away by Stow keeper Callum Robinson and another when a miscued header from a decent position allowed the visitors to scramble clear the danger.

Stow then fired an effort over the top but it was the home side who were looking more dangerous as the half entered its latter stages, and saw a couple of dangerous crosses into the area cause the visitors issues, but the hosts so nearly went in behind as Stow created a great chance which saw Baker free inside the box, but his effort was brilliantly blocked behind for a corner.

This was certainly a well contested FA Vase tie, and it remained goalless at the break with the hosts no doubt much the happier of how the game was going.

Half Time Swaffham Town 0 Stowmarket Town 0

It was a lively start to the second period too, Stow saw a bouncing ball run onto by Remi Garrett and he beat hosts keeper Tommy Rix to it but saw his header trickle wide, whilst they also saw two other headers at goal rebuffed by the hosts, whilst down the other end the tricky Alex Vincent fired an effort just wide whilst another went into the side netting.

The home side were then screaming for a penalty after keeper Robinson tried to run the ball out of play, was caught out and in an attempt to get back to try and reclaim the ball appeared to bundle over the home player, but the referee said nothing doing and the hosts were left frustrated.

The tie then took on a new edge when Garrett tried to break clear of hosts full-back David Weaver-Pope but the defender took the visiting forward out, sparking a melee and much pushing and shoving as Stow were far from happy with the challenge.  Referee Joshua Crofts managed to calm the situation and booked the full-back but the tie had taken on a certain edge now.

 What was becoming more apparent though was that the visitors were beginning to turn the screw now in what was a frantic cup tie, and after Vincent had sent an effort from outside the box straight at visitor’s keeper Robinson, Stow saw a header back across goal somehow cleared away, and then they saw a brilliant chance blocked from inside the box by a desperate Swaffham defender.

And then came the closest anyone had come to scoring at this point when Scott Chaplin burst into the visitor’s box and fired a terrific effort off the inside of the post, see the ball bounce off a defender and then see keeper Rix dive onto the ball to stop it going back into the net, it was a huge let off for the hosts.

The visitors then saw a deflected effort strike what they thought was a hand of a defender inside the area, but referee Crofts waved away their protests, and after the hosts had seen a breakaway end with a cross going straight to Robinson, Stow went down the other end and curled an effort inches wide of the far post.

It had been a second half that saw the visitors much the better but they could not find that illusive goal and it meant this cracking battle would go to extra time, the second time in a row Stow had gone to the extra half hour.

Full Time Swaffham Town 0 Stowmarket Town 0

The first period of extra time saw both teams go close early on, Stow somehow heading over from point blank range, whilst the visitors curled wide of the far post after a slip from the visiting backline, and you began to think it wouldn’t be Stow’s day when they had two goals chalked off, one for a tight offside call, and another for a foul.

They were understandably frustrated but they were given a boost two minutes before the end of the first period when home defender Danny Tindall was given a second yellow for a foul, meaning the hosts would have to play the remainder of extra time with ten men.

The second period saw Stow flash a ball across the box, and then send a free header wide of the far post, before another effort also missed the target as Swaffham put in one last shift to earn a replay.  

And a replay they did earn indeed after a huge effort against a side a level above them, both sides certainly had given their all and you could tell at the final whistle just how much, with some slumped to the floor with nothing left in the tank.  A proper cup tie was had, and they go again on Tuesday in Stowmarket to see who wins through to the Last 32 of the competition.

Full Time (aet) Swaffham Town 0 Stowmarket Town 0

One last thing, the club gave me a superb welcome, and the chairman, Cllr Ian Sherwood, even asked to have a selfie with me in the clubhouse (photo included below with others).  Also thanks to Stowmarket assistant manager Paul Musgrove for buying me a pint after the game, much appreciated.  Enjoyed my day immensely and look forward ton Tuesday’s reply, if I can get there that is!!!  Here’s hoping.