(Action from Great Wakering Rovers 2-0 FA Vase Quarter Final success over Falmouth Town at Burroughs Park)
Essex Senior League & Isuzu FA Vase Quarter Finals, Friday 8th/Saturday 9th March
This weekend saw me over at Mayesbrook Park for a league game between Ilford & Little Oakley on Friday night before I headed to Burroughs Park to see my local side Great Wakering Rovers do battle with Falmouth Town from Cornwall for a place in the Semi Finals of the Isuzu FA Vase, more on the latter later but first to Mayesbrook Park for that Friday night showing.....
Ilford 3 Little Oakley 1
The Foxes knew that a win would put twelve points between themselves and bottom side Coggeshall Town and almost guarantee their ESL and Step Five status for next season, but they were up against a Little Oakley side who despite their lowly position in the bottom half of the table knew a win here could see them only four points off the top five, so still very much all to play for.
The Foxes league form in February had seen them win at Saffron Walden Town before they were humbled by landlords Barking last time out, and with their form through January see them lose four straight games, all at home, this was very much one they wanted to win and make it six points from nine in their last three, Oakley themselves had picked up nine points from their five league games as they had gone through February undefeated in the league, and had netted a 5-0 thrashing on bottom side Coggeshall Town last time out, so on paper you fancied the visitors perhaps to pick up the points here.
The first forty five minutes of the contest yielded very little in the way of excitement if truth be told, and the only moment of quality in the entire half produced the opening goal of the game just before the half hour mark, Dan Rowe giving Oakley the lead with a wonderful effort from range thumping off the post and into the far corner, it was a brilliant strike and it meant Oakley had the lead at the break.
However, nobody could see the second half transformation from the hosts as they came out with much more purpose and energy, and ten minutes after the break levelled when Emmanuel Wazola fired home a lovely effort into the bottom corner from outside the box and then with just over twenty minutes remaining they grabbed a deserved lead after a loose ball was poked home at the far post by Joel Appiah.
The Foxes were playing some lovely football and Oakley could not live with their pace and power going forward, and the superb Mohamed Habib was played through with fifteen minutes of the contest to go to emphatically fire past the keeper into the far corner to hand the hosts a two goal cushion, a cushion they never really looked like giving away, and the home side grabbed a brilliant comeback win as a result to almost guarantee their status at this level for another season and put another nail in the coffin of bottom side Coggeshall Town as a result.
This was a damaging defeat for Oakley who lost for the first time in the league since the end of January, they ended the weekend ten points off the top five and down in twelfth, so it will take a lot to happen now for them to sneak in with only seven games remaining in their campaign.
Full time Ilford 3 Little Oakley 1
Onto Saturday now, and Great Wakering Rovers's massive FA Vase Quarter Final against Falmouth Town, let's see how that one went shall we.....
Great Wakering Rovers 2 Falmouth Town 0
This was a massive tie for both, Rovers had never reached this stage of the competition before, Falmouth hadn't reached this stage since the 86/87 season, so both were in alien territory, and a bumper crowd of almost 700 came to see if their sides could continue their journey towards a Wembley final and a chance of glory.
Now Rovers had began their Vase campaign back in August (seems a lifetime ago now!!!) with a 5-2 win Basildon Town, which ironically is where their now management team of Bowers & Bunny were for this game, little did they know that months down the line they would be managing their opponents that day and be at this stage of the competition, funny how things work isn't it.
Rovers went onto see off Buckhurst Hill at home, and then after Bowers & Bunny joined in mid October they saw off St Neots Town away on penalties, defeated Downham Town and then Fakenham Town at home, before winning at Whitchurch Alport and then netting a 95th minute winner at Highworth Town to set up today's tie against Western League Premier side Falmouth Town.
Falmouth themselves started at the same stage as today's opponents back in August, netting a home win over Honiton, before a home win over Credition United and then a superb 1-0 win at Fareham Town (Fareham had won every league game in the season at that point too) before a home win over Moneyfields was followed by a win on the road at Barnstaple Town, another home win over Hartbury College, and then a very impressive 3-0 win at Jersey Bulls saw them take their Quarter Final berth.
Both then had earned their right to reach the Final Eight of the competition, both in a season where promotion is also the aim too, Rovers were way down in tenth in the Essex Senior League but only five points off the play offs with games in hand due to this run in the Vase, Falmouth were sitting third in the Toolstation Western League and in touching distance of the top two with games in hand for the same reason, but league concerns were once again put on the back burner for this weekend as Vase success was very much back on the agenda.
Who could deal with the pressure and the nerves better then? There was a superb atmosphere inside the ground with a very sizable contingent from Cornwall certainly making a lot of noise, as said officially their was almost 700 inside the ground although it certainly looked and sounded like their was a lot more, it certainly pointed towards a good day indeed, who would deal with it better as said?
Both teams had chances in the opening forty five minutes in what was a very hard fought half of football, unsurprisingly with this being a major Quarter Final, and had it not been for Morgan Coxhead in the visitors goal then Rovers would have had two first half goals for sure, he saved from Harry Talbot early on before later on in the half he produced an unbelievable, almost impossible one handed save to deny Jake Gordon, it was a magnificent save and left us all gasping in the stands.
Falmouth themselves probably had more of the ball after they settled into the tie in the opening half, but any finishes that came their way were either straight at Rovers keeper Luis Shamshoum or off target, one such header from close range from a long throw in into the box was sent over the bar when it really should have been on target and a goal, but at the half time break it was fairly even and hard to call who was going to go on and win this tie.
Neither wanted penalties for sure, am not sure me or anyone else inside Burroughs Park could stand the tension of that, and as the tie went on you could feel that inside the ground as the enormity of the prize became more and more apparent, but it was the hosts who began to have the better of the tie in the second period, but could they take advantage of this?
The first goal was always going to be important in such a big tense and tight contest, and with twenty minutes of the second half gone, Rovers grabbed the lead, as wonderful work down the right from Gordon saw him send a ball into the box which bobbled across the area, and after a defender took an airshot at trying to clear the ball, it found it's way through to Talbot who composed himself before slotting past Coxhead, sending the home players, staff and fans wild with delight, they could now believe.
The expected response from Falmouth though never really came, they seemed to lack energy and faded somewhat in the second period, and the hosts seized upon this and with ten minutes remaining put the final nail in the visitors coffin in terms of the Vase for this season when substitute Max Gnandi brilliantly retrieved the ball from the byline, cut inside into the box, before being taken out and saw the referee award the hosts a spot kick.
Talbot took responsibility for the spot kick, he had been brilliant all game and had given full back Jacob Grange all kinds of problems throughout the game, and he kept his nerve to send Coxhead the wrong way and find the bottom corner, and help send Wakering through to their first ever FA Vase semi final in their history.
A wonderful day for the club then, and it was brilliant to be part of it and see a local side get through to the Final Four of the competition, commiserations to Falmouth though whose fans were superb throughout and were a credit to their side, I hope they can now go on and gain promotion this season as they deserve it, and they should be proud of reaching the Quarter Final stage for the very first time as well, well done.
Full time Great Wakering Rovers 2 Falmouth Town 0
Now, Great Wakering Rovers were not the only Essex Senior League side in the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase, Romford were also looking to reach the semi finals too and they were away at Combined Counties side North Greenford United, who had knocked Tilbury out in the previous round on penalties, let's see how that went.....
North Greenford United 0 Romford 1
Romford made it two Essex Senior League sides through to the Last Four of the Vase after Remi Sutton's 24th minute goal was enough to earn them a 1-0 win.
It means the semi final line up of the FA Vase sees Great Wakering Rovers and Romford joined by Worcester City and Lincoln United, who are both now favourites to win the competition, although I am sure both Essex Senior League sides will have something to say about that, what an achievement for the league to have two sides in the Last Four, lets hope at least one of them can make the final and win it!!!!
Right there was other league action this weekend too, let's have a look at how that went.....
Friday
Woodford Town 3 Frenford 1
The other Friday night game of the weekend saw Woodford defeat Frenford to continue their superb run of late, Peter Angelov gave the hosts the lead just past the half hour mark before Alex Bolovan doubled that advantage five minutes into the second period. Dion Johnson did reduce the arrears with eleven minutes to go but the hosts sealed the points when Bolovan netted his second and Woodford's third with two minutes to go.
Saturday
Barking 2 Athletic Newham 1
A late penalty from Sam Dowridge handed Barking a big win against play off rivals Athletic Newham at Mayesbrook Park, Brad Rowland had given the hosts a seventh minute lead but Abdul Shobowale levelled for the visitors just past the half hour mark. And it looked like the game would end that way until Dowridge netted a 90th minute penalty to hand the hosts the points.
Buckhurst Hill 2 Takeley 0
A brace from George Thompson helped Buckhurst Hill to the points against Takeley at Roding Lane, Thompson gave them a 28th minute lead before he doubled their advantage a minute before the break, and that proved enough for the home side to take the points in this one.
FC Clacton 2 Hullbridge Sports 5
Oluwatobi Coker netted two as Sports hit five at The Austin Arena against FC Clacton, Adam Topley gave the visitors the lead on the half hour mark before Coker netted five minutes later to double their lead. Jonathan Evans then made it 3-0 just before the hour mark before Coker then made it four just three minutes later, and then Owen Bellamy then made it 5-0 to the visitors with eighteen to go. Noah Alsterlind & Jenson Mulqueen netted late on for the hosts but it was far too little to late for them as they fell to a heavy home loss.
Halstead Town 0 Sporting Bengal United 4
Sporting kept up their play off hopes with a thumping win at Rosemary Lane against a decent Halstead side, and remarkably it was a hat-trick from centre half Freddy Tandon that did the damage (he had played up front so maybe he did today who knows!!!). After a goalless first half Tandon netted three minutes into the second half before adding further goals on 51 & 72 minutes, and then Tanvir Ahmed netted a fourth goal with nine minutes to go to cap a brilliant performance.
Stanway Rovers 2 Coggeshall Town 0
It looks even more bleak for bottom side Coggeshall Town now as they fell to yet another loss, this time at Stanway Rovers, after goals from Reece Conway & Jamie Bennett either side of the break handed the hosts all three points at The Hawthorns.
Tilbury 1 Saffron Walden Town 0
Runaway leaders Tilbury continued their charge for the title and promotion as a goal from Alex Clark proved enough for them to increase their lead back up to fourteen points with just nine games to go in the season.
Let's look at how the table is after this weekend's games.....
It's going to take a lot to stop Tilbury from winning the league now, so everyone else is playing for those four play off spots, and anyone down to probably Great Wakering Rovers in tenth have a shot at finishing in the top five, so it's going to be a crazy end to the season it seems.
Coggeshall Town as said look doomed now as they are twelve points behind Ilford after the Foxes won and they lost this weekend, both have seven games to go so it really does look like The Seedgrowers are all but down now.
Anyway, what a weekend, and I hope you enjoyed this blog, thanks for reading as always, it's very much appreciated.
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