Goals from Reece Tranter, Craig Hall, Dan Gilchrist
and Tom Harvey saw May & Baker stun Saffron Walden Town at Catons Lane to
progress through to the First Round Proper of the Buildbase FA Vase.
Walden came into this one as favourites for the tie after
their decent start to life in the Essex Senior League Premier Division and with
the one step advantage to visitors May & Baker, who are now in the Eastern
Senior League South Division, felt they should be able to defeat their opponents.
The two sides did meet in the County Cup here at Catons Lane
earlier this season and saw Walden come out on top with a very entertaining 4-3
win, so knew that their opponents would no doubt push them in this one, and
with Bakers netting eight in their previous Vase tie knew that attacking wish
the visitors would be lively.
The opening fifteen minutes were rather subdued to be honest
although both sides did see a chance each early on, but the deadlock was broken
just before the half hour mark when Ashley Skeggs attempted to head back a bouncing
ball to keeper Neil O’Sullivan but totally miscued his header and saw Tranter run
onto it and eventually rolled the ball into the net after it had ricocheted off
the home side’s keeper and the visitors had the lead.
Walden had just not been at the races for some reason, maybe
suffering a hangover from their cup replay against St Ives Town in midweek, and
although they created a couple of openings towards the end of the half, May
& Baker would have been very happy with their work so far and went into the
break a goal ahead.
Half Time Saffron
Walden Town 0 May & Baker 1
It wasn’t long before May & Baker’s afternoon got even
better when they doubled their lead five minutes into the second period when
Craig Hall glanced home a cross from the left and the visitors were certainly causing
some surprise amongst the home fans who had gathered for this one.
Walden tried to get themselves back into this contest but
the visitors were creating the better moments in attack and saw a Gilchrist effort
well saved by O’Sullivan before the same keeper then made a mess of a long-range
effort but luckily had a defender behind him to clear off the line and prevent
the visitors from netting a clinching third.
But in the 66th minute Bakers did find that third
goal when after Tranter had seen a downward header brilliantly saved by O’Sullivan,
Gilchrist received the ball outside the box and he took a touch before firing a
terrific effort beyond O’Sullivan into the far corner for a wonderful goal and
almost certainly a game clincher for the visitors.
A stunned hosts saw Craig Calver and Lewis Francis go close,
before Charlie Portway thumped an effort off the underside of the crossbar as
Walden looked to try and mount some sort of late pressure on their opponents,
whilst Baker substitute Luke Dickins almost put the tie completely to bed down the
other end too when he almost caught keeper O’Sullivan out, but the keeper got
back to field the ball.
And with ten minutes remaining the hosts found a goal back
and give the visitors something to think about when Portway managed to beat the
offside trap to be all alone inside the area and thump a powerful effort into
the roof of the net, and suddenly Walden believed they could pull off a miracle
comeback perhaps?
And just a few minutes later they so nearly found a second
goal which would have set up a grandstand finish but Francis could only volley
over from inside the box and miss the chance to really ramp up the pressure on
the visitors.
With two minutes remaining Bakers did finally put this tie
to bed when they netted a fourth goal as a ball laid back to Harvey saw him
side foot an effort inside the near post and seal an impressive win for the
Step Six outfit in a Step Five opponents’ own backyard.
Full Time Saffron
Walden Town 1 May & Baker 4
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