Alex Watson netted a hat-trick for Frenford as the hosts saw off Leyton Athletic at The Len Salmon Stadium in their BBC Essex Senior Cup Preliminary Round tie, setting up a First-Round home tie against Barkingside.
This was an all Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South contest and the winners knew they would face a home tie against another fellow Eastern Senior South side Barkingside. Frenford had begun the season with five points from three games, whilst Leyton have not played a league game as yet due to ground issues, and their only competitive fixture had been an FA Cup defeat at Cockfosters.
The visitors were a bit of an unknown quantity then, but it was they who dragged the first opening wide, whilst the hosts saw a good ball in mis controlled before the ball was then cleared, and then Leyton found themselves in a good shooting position again, but dragged this one wide too.
The hosts then whipped in a dangerous cross which saw them almost nip in ahead of the keeper but the keeper was brave enough to dive and gather, getting a whack for his troubles, but in the sixth minute the hosts did lead when a poor throw out from the keeper, coupled with a weak challenge from the defender saw the ball squared to Watson who side footed home.
The visitors sprung forward in search of a quick leveller but a woeful finish went high over the bar, before Watson headed wide of the target down the other end, and then Leyton saw an effort blocked with the visitors half hearted appeals for a penalty being waved away.
A nice Leyton move ended with a ball being fired over, the visitors were playing some nice stuff it had to be said, but Frenford went down the other end but saw Watson’s effort plucked out of the air by the keeper.
Frenford were playing ok themselves too and should of doubled their lead but Watson somehow glanced a header wide from point blank range, before Leyton attacked with promise again and a ball through almost found them clear, but a great tackle put paid to that.
The final act of the half saw a Frenford free-kick whipped into the near post sliced over their own bar by a defender, and this brought an end to the half with the match very much in the balance.
Half Time Frenford 1 Leyton Athletic 0
Frenford centre half Freddie Tandon saw an early second half free-kick well saved, before the resulting corner was turned over their own bar by the visitors, and then Leyton threatened themselves but saw a left footed effort dragged wide.
Then came a flashpoint which came from nothing and saw all players involved, some pushing and shoving, some just shouting, and others trying to pull others away, and after it all calmed down both sides received a booking each.
And shortly after the restart Leyton should have been level, as a ball played through saw them clear on goal but after the keeper had saved the ball bounced back into the visitor’s path but they somehow put the rebound wide, it was a huge let off for Frenford.
It proved key as moments later just beyond the hour mark the hosts doubled their lead as Watson rammed home a corner from inside the box, and just like that the hosts had some breathing space.
And just four minutes later substitute Ashley Taylor-Forbes twisted and turned past a defender before firing brilliantly beyond the keeper to pretty much seal this tie, and Leyton had gone from almost levelling to being three goals behind in the blink of an eye.
Taylor-Forbes almost nicked a second for himself when almost pinching the ball off a fortunate keeper, but credit to the visitors who kept trying to play decent attacking football and put together a terrific move but the final ball in was gathered by the keeper before the striker could get on the end of it.
With fifteen minutes remaining though Frenford made it four as Watson completed his hat-trick, thundering home a header at the near post, and it should have been five soon after but they somehow side footed wide from six yards out.
There was then a hairy moment for the Leyton keeper when he almost lost the ball to Luke Woodward inside his own penalty area, before the hosts then saw another effort well saved by the visiting keeper.
Woodward then saw a shot from Watson fall into his path, but he could only drag his effort wide, but the whistle went shortly after and Frenford were into the next round to face Barkingside back at the Len Salmon Stadium in the First Round of the competition.
Full Time Frenford 4 Leyton Athletic 0
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