Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round, Saturday 26th August
My first game of the bank holiday weekend, and my first for two weeks in fact, saw me over a Burroughs Park, Great Wakering, for the start of this season's FA Vase campaign's for Essex Senior League hosts White Ensign and Spartan South Midlands Premier side Colney Heath.
It's always good to see the hosts and they once again put on decent hospitality for Rob Errington, ESL President of course, and my fellow roving reporter and blogger Scott W, who I travelled to and from the game with, which was always a pleasure, but thanks to Ensign for looking after us as always.
The hosts had had a decent start to their season so far, sitting sixth in the Essex Senior League having picked up eight points from a possible fifteen, and they had come into this one off the back of a 2-0 home win over Frenford, although that was ten days ago, so the legs were certainly fresh that was for sure.
Visiting Heath had only played three league games so far, picking up four points from those in the process, and they had also dumped ESL opposition out of the FA Cup earlier in the month, winning a replay against Ilford after drawing the original tie at home, so could they cause more upset to another side from that division?
Ensign certainly settled the better, in fact in the opening forty five minutes the visitors barely settled at all and were second best for the majority, the hosts saw to early chances well saved by visiting keeper and skipper Connor Samson, and then saw another effort glanced over from close range, all inside the opening ten minutes.
The hosts though did get their noses in front finally in the 13th minute though when they won a penalty after a hand ball inside the box, and Joe Gregory stepped up to dispatch the spot kick with aplomb and hand Ensign a more than deserved lead.
Heath had fleeting attacks in the break, but they just could not hold onto the ball for more than a few seconds, and allowed the hosts to have a lot of the ball, but despite their dominance they only went into the half time break a goal ahead when it could easily been three or four, the visitors only positive of the first forty five minutes was that they were only a goal behind and still in the tie.
The visitors did compete slightly better in the second half, and their most lively player Jordan Kinoshi had a couple of efforts straight at Ensign keeper Harry Fairs, and in fact Fairs also had to be alert to beat away a Billy Owen effort early in the second half prior to this, but Ensign also had plenty of openings to kill the tie but could not, the best falling to Gregory who sent a header agonisingly wide of the far post.
The best hosts player on the pitch though was Iyiola Adebayo, who was a constant menace to the visitors back line all game, he was involved in pretty much all the hosts best moments throughout, and Rob, Scott and myself all came to the conclusion that he was certainly deserved of the MOTM award which Rob awarded him on the pitch afterwards. It was a well deserved accolade.
Luckily for the hosts their lack of cutting edge up front did not come back to bite them in the bum, as a late Heath leveller would have forced penalties, but this didn't materialise and so Ensign won through to the next round which is a 2nd Qualifying Round contest away at Cornard United who play in the Thurlow Nunn Division One North, a step below the ESL. Ensign will no doubt fancy a positive result in that one too in about a months time in Suffolk.
It was a bad day at the office for the visitors though, they could easily have lost by more today and alot of the committee said that this was the worst they had ever seen them play, so hopefully for them this is the worst it gets this season and they can have a decent campaign going forward. Sadly for them their Vase campaign for 2023-24 is over.
Full time White Ensign 1 Colney Heath 0
No comments:
Post a Comment