Second half goals from Dan Gillard and Joe Stevens helped see Essex Olympian Premier side Harold Wood Athletic progress through to Round Four of the Essex Premier Cup with victory over Essex Olympian Senior One Old Southendian at Garon Park.
The Senior One hosts were having a decent campaign, sitting third in their division and hoping to have a season which ends with promotion to the Premier Division, whilst Wood were sitting fifth in the Premier after a solid campaign so far, so a decent cup tie was expected.
The first real chance didn’t arrive until the 13th minute though and it fell to the visitors when Gillard cut inside onto his left foot, but his effort was saved by the hosts keepers legs.
And that was pretty much the closest we came to a goal in the opening half hour, and the hosts first real decent shooting chance didn’t arrive until ten minutes before the break, but the effort was miles off target, it had been a game of few chances you could say so far.
And in first half stoppage time the visitors went very close to going in a goal up at the break when a free kick from Gillard saw the home keeper palm away brilliantly. However the one word you could use for the first period was attritional, it hadn’t been easy on the eye.
Half Time Old Southendian 0 Harold Wood Athletic 0
Two minutes into the second half saw a great ball across the hosts goal by Joe Stevens was almost converted at the far post but ended up as a corner, and from this saw the ball headed wide.
Then came a decent spell of possession for the hosts although they couldn’t carve out a decent opening, but just past the hour mark the visitors went close as a Gillard flick was tipped across the face of goal by the keeper, but it failed to find an attacking player and was cleared.
In the 65th minute and with the visitors now on the front foot, a good cross from Stevens found Gillard who could only head wide of the far post, however just four minutes later Wood won a penalty after winger Connor Hartwell was taken out by full back Conor Lane, and Gillard stepped up to slot home the spot kick and give the Premier outfit the advantage.
In the 73rd minute more visitors pressure saw the keeper save a Gillard header before the ball was returned back to Gillard by Hartwell, Gillard then converted the chance but it was flagged offside as Hartwell had been in an offside position when the original effort was saved.
Four minutes later and with Wood continuing to press for a second, they went close to doubling lead again as Stevens thumped a close range effort against the bar and then two minutes later another good chance for visitors saw the keeper save the effort with his legs.
But with five minutes of normal time remaining Wood got their clinching second goal as a mistake allowed Hartwell in on goal and although his lofted effort was saved, the ball bounced into the path of Stevens who headed into the empty net and double Wood’s lead.
Two minutes into stoppage time the hosts forced a save from a header as they desperately looked for a lifeline but the resulting corner was hit behind for a goal kick, summing up their afternoon.
Soon after the referee brought proceedings to a close and its Wood who are through to Round Four to set up an away tie at fellow Olympian Premier side Frenford on 13th January.
Full Time Old Southendian 0 Harold Wood Athletic 2
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