Stowmarket Town 2 Swaffham Town 1

Buildbase FA Vase Third Round Replay, Tuesday 4th December 2018

Sam Nunn’s 69^th minute header eventually saw Stowmarket Town edge out Swaffham Town in their Buildbase FA Vase Third Round replay at a cold and misty Greens Meadow and see the Suffolk side reach the Last 32 of the competition, setting up an away tie at either Biggleswade or Tring Athletic.

The sides had battled out a goalless draw at the weekend at Swaffham’s Shoemakers Lane ground but many thought that the hosts, one step above their opponents, would get the job done second time around more comfortably perhaps.

But this was not the case early on as Swaffham began the game well and created the games best chance in the opening fifteen minutes when a decent effort at goal saw home keeper Callum Robinson get down smartly to turn the effort away from goal.

However, in the 20^th minute the visitors did stun their opponents by taking the lead when after the hosts had gone close when a header across goal was almost converted at the far post, moments later Swaffham’s Joe Jackson pounced on a poor clearance to fire beyond Robinson and give the visiting side a shock lead.

Stow themselves created a chance thereafter when a header from set-play looked destined for the net until keeper Tommy Rix and a defender between them managed to scramble the ball away from the net, whilst down the other end the visitors passed up two decent openings to double their lead.

But in the 34^th minute the hosts did manage to pull themselves level when sloppy play in the visitor’s backline allowed Scott Chaplin to nip in and finish beyond Rix from close range, and the tie was now back on level terms once again.

The home side were getting stronger as the half wore on and saw a curled cross to the far post almost converted, whilst another attack saw a close-range effort cleared off the line by a scrambling Swaffham defence.  The visitors then almost restored their lead in spectacular circumstances when sending a first time volley a foot wide, but it meant the sides went in all square at the break.

Half Time Stowmarket Town 1 Swaffham Town 1

The early exchanges of the second period saw the hosts find the net after a header back into the dangerzone was fired home, only to see the flag go up for offside, whilst down the other end the visitors fired an effort straight at Robinson from a great position.

Swaffham then passed up two great opportunities to re-take the lead in this one, firstly seeing Robinson save but fire the rebound over the bar, and then secondly when a brilliant ball across the six-yard box was not converted, as the hosts continued to struggle against their step six opponents in this period of play.

But in the 69^th minute came the deciding moment as it turned out when a lovely free-kick into the visitor’s box saw Nunn rise highest to nod a header past Rix and give the hosts the lead with a quarter of the tie remaining.

Swaffham tried to respond but saw a weak poke at goal easily saved by Robinson, whilst down the other end Stow saw a long-range looping header almost catch keeper Rix out, but the ball ended up on the roof of the net and not in it as the visitors breathed a sigh of relief.

With time running out it was the visitors who were doing the pressing, and two half chances came and went as the hosts managed to advert the danger, and then deep into stoppage time hosts midfielder Jack Baker was shown a straight red for an off the ball incident that the linesman on the far side had spotted and brought to the attention of the referee.

But despite this ending the hosts managed to take a hard-earned victory and take their place in the Fourth Round and a tie at either Biggleswade or Tring.  That match takes place this weekend and I’ll be there to see who wins that replay.  Stowmarket await the winners, we know that for now.

Full Time Stowmarket Town 2 Swaffham Town 1