Suleyman Zuhdu netted a first half hat-trick as Buckhurst Hill blew away their opponents Rayleigh Town at Roding Valley School 3G to reach the Semi Finals of the Anagram Records Trophy, setting up a last four clash against either Bovingdon or Letchworth Garden City Eagles.
The hosts were immediately on the front foot and almost led after two minutes as they broke the offside trap but the visiting keeper pulled off a good save, before the hosts then got in behind again and a ball across was volleyed just wide, the hosts could have been two up inside four minutes.
Buckhurst Hill then won a free kick out on the right after an appalling challenge, which resulted in a yellow card, and the free kick was swing in and found an unmarked player on the far side, but the shot was drilled wide of the target.
The hosts early pressure was rewarded on 12 minutes though as after the keeper had brought down an attacker, Zuhdu stepped up to convert the spot kick and Buckhurst Hill were on their way.
The hosts then got in down the left hand side again but the angle was too tight and an eventual shot at goal was saved at the near post, but in the 21st minute it was 2-0 as Sam Sollosi was played in and he slotted beyond the onrushing keeper and the hosts were in total control of this tie.
And five minutes later it was three for the home side as a ball played forward saw Zuhdu and the keeper run for the ball, and the striker easily beat the keeper to it to round him and slot brilliantly in from the angle for his second of the contest amid a heavy sleet shower that had enveloped Loughton!!!
After the hosts saw another effort saved, they duly made it 4-0 on the half hour mark as Zuhdu completed his hat-trick, after getting through the back line again to slot home, and this was becoming a very one sided contest it has to be said. Rayleigh were being blown apart here.
The visitors did finally have a couple of efforts on goal, rifling one wide from the edge of the area before getting in down the left but slicing wide of the near post, before the hosts then got through but saw a poor finish saved, and then Rayleigh saw a near post effort beaten away.
A curling effort from the home side was then plucked out of the air by the keeper, but a minute before the break it was 5-0 to Buckhurst Hill as a ball laid back to Tyler Dolan saw him send a lovely side footed finish beyond the keeper from outside the box, and the hosts had pretty much won this tie by the break, they had been superb.
Half Time Buckhurst Hill 5 Rayleigh Town 0
For Rayleigh this was a damage limitation job surely now after a first half to forget, and it was they who had the first moment of the second period when they were screaming for a penalty after they felt a challenge as they were shooting at goal was illegal, but the referee said no.
The hosts then almost made it six but the keeper made another decent stop at his near post, before Rayleigh almost got in but good defending stopped them from having a strike at goal, and then a looping header from the visitors was claimed by the hosts keeper.
Buckhurst Hill then burst free down the left but the ball in was hacked clear, and the corner was sent to the back post, but two hosts players got in each other’s way and saw a header on the stretch go nowhere near the target.
The home side then got in down the left once again, but the keeper made another superb stop to prevent the hosts making it six, before down the other end the visitors cut inside and fired a shot at goal but it was straight at the keeper as the game entered the final fifteen minutes.
In the 78th minute Rayleigh did pull one back to prevent the hosts from getting a clean sheet as Bailey Moss fired an effort from inside the box at goal and despite a defender desperately trying to clear it off the line, the ball still found its way in.
The hosts then almost immediately found a sixth but saw a close-range effort blocked, before more hosts chances passed them by as they looked to end the game as they had started, on the front foot.
But with five minutes to go Rayleigh found another goal back to make it 5-2 after getting through and poking under the keeper, and you could sense the frustration amongst the hosts who had switched off at times during this second period.
Ultimately though the game was over at half time, and in stoppage time the hosts fired an effort into the side netting, and after four minutes of time added on the referee brought proceedings to a close just before another shower was brewing, and Buckhurst Hill progressed into the last four of the competition.
Full Time Buckhurst Hill 5 Rayleigh Town 2
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