BBC Essex Senior Cup Semi Finals Review - Braintree Town defeat Chelmsford City to set up final against Concord Rangers after they saw off Hornchurch

The Essex Senior Cup Semi Finals took place this week and saw three Vanarama National South sides and one Isthmian Premier side in the final four, I was at both games so here is how they both went from my point of view.....

Monday 27th February

Chelmsford City 0 Braintree Town 1

City and Town did battle once again at Melbourne Stadium on a very chilly Monday night, the two met in the league at the same venue back on Boxing Day and City continued their recent years of dominance in this fixture by netting a 2-0 win, with the return game a few days later finishing 2-2, meaning Town had still not recorded a win over their rivals since 2010.

Would this change here and see the visitors into the final? They had not been drawn at home in any round of this competition this season, and had to get past Maldon & Tiptree before receiving a walkover win after Southend United pulled out, then they won at Colchester United after netting twice in the final few minutes to set up this tie, so they had certainly earned their place in the last four.

City themselves had breezed into the final four after netting wins over Great Wakering Rovers, Coggeshall Town and Witham Town, netting eleven and conceding just once in those ties, although this would certainly be a different contest to all of those matches against opposition that were a couple of levels below themselves in the pyramid.

The game itself turned out to be a rather poor showing, neither side played their best football but the deciding moment came midway through the first period when Town's Matt Rush danced into the box before slotting home to the delight of visiting fans behind the goal, and thereafter they just dug in and defended in numbers to keep their opponents at bay.

City were not really at the races, they had an early chance when skipper Simeon Jackson headed straight at visiting keeper Jack Sims from point blank range, had that gone in it may have been different and the hosts could have gone on and continued their thirteen year unbeaten record against their bitter rivals, but they never really tested Sims after that and the visitors held out to net a rare win over City, and in doing so reach the County Cup final for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Here are some snaps from the evening...

Tuesday 28th February

Concord Rangers 1 Hornchurch 1 (Concord Rangers won 5-4 on penalties)

On an equally chilly night on Canvey Island, Concord Rangers and Hornchurch battled for a place in the final of the County Cup and set up a final against Braintree Town, Concord were a level above their opponents in terms of the pyramid but their was not much between them in terms of quality with one being in the lower half of one division and the other challenging for promotion in the other, in fact this could easily be a league game next season if Concord stay in the National League South and Hornchurch win promotion from the Isthmian Premier.

But that is another story, right now both were vying to earn a spot in the final of this prestigious competition, and to say Concord have had lady luck in this competition would be an understatement. After squeezing past Aveley on penalties they were dumped out in Round Four by Grays Athletic, only to be reinstated after Grays were thrown out, and then they squeezed past fellow Islanders Canvey Island on penalties as well in the Quarter Finals up the road at Park Lane.

The Urchins had seen off Brightlingsea Regent and Romford away from home before breezing past Billericay Town at home in the Quarters, netting ten goals along the way in that time, and in a goalless first period here at Thames Road both sides had chances, and a controversial moment came at the end of the half when Horchurch were awarded a penalty which was then overturned because the flag had gone up just before the handball on the line for offside, much to the visitors dismay.

The Urchins then saw a goal chalked off for offside in a second period that was decent to watch and very tight between both sides, but midway through the second half The Urchins managed to edge ahead when Liam Nash curled home a beauty, but Concord responded brilliantly to level a couple of minutes later when a header back across goal by Nana Kyei was touched home at the far post by Mohamed Bettamer.

It meant the tie went to penalties, and although Concord found themselves 2-0 down early on in the shoot out, they managed to turn it around and find a way to get through another tie on penalties, in fact all three ties they have won have been in shootouts, and it meant they take their place in the final on Tuesday March 21st.

Here are some snaps from the game...

So, it all means that Braintree Town and Concord Rangers will contest this season's County Cup final at Colchester United's Community Stadium in just under three weeks time. It is also a repeat of the 2013-14 final where Concord defeated Braintree 2-1 and was the first of their three Essex Senior Cup wins, with the other two coming in the following two seasons as they won it three years on the trot.

Town's only success in this competition came in the 1995-96 season when they beat Billericay Town in the final, and as mentioned briefly above their last appearance in the final was that one they lost to Concord in 2013-14. Will Concord make it four wins in this competition or can Braintree claim their second crown and avenge that 2013-14 final defeat? We shall find out on March 21st.....