Hashtag United 2 Heybridge Swifts 1

BBC Essex Senior Cup Round Four, Monday 10th January

I was over at The Len Salmon Stadium for an all Isthmian North Essex Senior Cup Last 16 tie between Hashtag United and Heybridge Swifts, and it was the hosts who progressed into the Quarter Finals thanks to goals from Harry Haysom and Luke Hirst.

Both these sides had come into the competition in the last round (Third Round), The Tags had seen off another fellow Isthmian North side in Romford 1-0 at home, whilst Swifts had dispatched Southern League One Central side Harlow Town 4-1 at Scraley Road, and both knew another win in this competition here would take them into the Final Eight and only two more wins away from the final. 

Tags started this one the better and after striking the post early on took a 17th minute lead when a corner swung in found the head of Haysom who headed into the net, and later on in the half he almost did the same again but on that occasion saw his effort thump against the post, meaning the hosts had hit both posts.

The visitors rarely threatened in the opening forty five minutes, with their best effort a Jack Adlington-Pile strike from outside the box whistling over the bar, and they had big concerns as we all did late in the half when centre half Alex Stephenson was taken out by Tags winder Josh Osude, resulting in the visiting player to be briefly knocked out, thankfully though he did recover to walk off the pitch as the half time whistle sounded, Osude was booked but some felt it could have been a red and the visitors were not very happy to say the least.

The Tags continued to be the better side after the break though and just before the hour mark doubled their lead after sloppy play from the visitors saw them give the ball away in the final third, and the hosts pounced as Hirst drove into the box to fire home, and it seemed Hashtag would cruise into the Quarters.

Ten minutes after that though Swifts grabbed themselves a lifeline as Tags switched off, maybe thinking the job was done, and saw a ball swung in headed home by Stephenson at the back post, and suddenly it was very much game on and from nowhere Swifts had a chance of maybe forcing penalties, they had twenty minutes to find a leveller.

That goal though was pretty much Swifts only attempt on target in what had been a disappointing performance, and they could not muster another attempt in the remainder of the contest as Hashtag, who had chances to seal the deal before and after that goal, completed the win thanks to those goals from Haysom and Hirst, and it is they who are into the Last Eight of the Senior Cup.

Full time Hashtag United 2 Heybridge Swifts 1