Canterbury City 2 Biggleswade 1

Buildbase FA Vase Quarter-Final, Sunday 24th February 2019

Goals from Chris Saunders and Dean Grant either side of the break saw Canterbury City come from behind to defeat Biggleswade at Faversham’s Salters Lane Stadium to take their place in the Semi-Finals of the Buildbase FA Vase alongside Chertsey Town, Northwich Victoria and Cray Valley PM.

The visitors went into this one as favourites after a terrific season so far, but Canterbury were not here to just make up the numbers and hadn’t got to the Last Eight for no reason so this was always going to be a close encounter.

The first attempt on goal came from the visitors when skipper Alex Marsh forced home keeper and skipper Delo into a save, but in the sixth minute the Spartan South Midlands side took the lead when a cross saw Tom Cookman convert from close range and send the visiting fans behind that goal wild with delight.

They went so wild in fact that the advertising hoarding’s they were pushing against collapsed, however no one was hurt thank goodness and we could get on with the game.  It was the perfect start to the game for Biggleswade though and they had certainly proved their favourites tag early on.

Centre-half Henebery then sent a powerful header at the Canterbury net, but keeper Delo was equal to it, before the hosts first attempt at goal came from Laurence, but it was a weak effort and easy for visiting keeper Tompkins.

Biggleswade though were looking the better side and almost doubled their lead when Ryan Inskip curled a decent effort just over the bar, but then the game changed in a moment it seemed as with three minutes of the half remaining the hosts levelled with their first real shot in anger, and what a shot it was.

The ball bounced up invitingly for Saunders and he sent a wonderful dipping effort over Tompkins from thirty-plus yards out and into the net to send the hosts mad.  The goal seemed to awaken a home side who had gone rather flat and gave them that belief once again.

The visitors nearly restored the lead just before half time but saw Cookman just fail to get enough on a cross and could only flick it across goal, and it meant that the tie remained level at the break.

Half Time Canterbury City 1 Biggleswade 1

Whatever was said in the changing rooms at half-time certainly worked more for the hosts as they took the lead barely a minute into the second period, as Grant managed to muscle his way beyond his marker before slotting beyond Tompkins, and the Kent League side had the lead.

It was a position that the visitors are not used to, having lost very few games this campaign, but they would have to fight back from behind if they were to continue their quest for Vase glory, and they so nearly responded immediately when Laurie Marsh sent a decent effort at goal but keeper Delo made a decent stop to thwart them.

Lee Northfield then volleyed wide for the visitors who were now chasing a game they seemed to have control of up until that brilliant leveller, and they then saw another chance missed when Inskip drove a brilliant free-kick into the dangerzone but saw it fail to connect with anyone and saw it go out for a goal-kick.

The visitors then won a free-kick in a very dangerous position, and after Alex Marsh had played a one-two with twin bother Laurie, the latter’s effort sailed over the bar in disappointing fashion for the visitors at least.

Alex Marsh then almost got in for the visitors but overran the ball and keeper Delo gratefully accepted it, before down the other end Biggleswade lost the ball on the wing and saw City try to possible seal the tie but after the loose ball fell to Starkey, he could only blast over.

Biggleswade attacked again and saw dangerous ball across the six-yard box poked wide by Alex Marsh under pressure from a couple of defenders although the visitors claimed their skipper had been fouled but this was waved away by the referee, whilst down the other end substitute Lee headed wide whilst trying to give the hosts a two-goal cushion.

There was a moment of panic for the home keeper Delo when a ball into the box saw him flap at the ball rather and see it fall loose to substitute Eze, but the visiting attacker could only slice his effort well wide of the target, and the hosts could breathe a sigh of relief.

And after four minutes of stoppage time had been played the referee brought the contest to a close and it was the hosts who were celebrating a place in the Last Four of the competition.

Full Time Canterbury City 2 Biggleswade 1