Isuzu FA Vase First Qualifying Round, Friday August 23rd
It's been a while since I've been over to The Recreation Ground to see St Margaretsbury, in fact I haven't been there since Covid times when I co commentated on a Len Cordell match there against FC Clacton with the Essex Senior League secretary and vice chair Michelle Dorling, that was about three years or so ago I reckon, so after seeing they had a Vase game on a Friday night, I felt it was a good place to start my weekend.
St Mags have endured a tough couple of years or so since then, after suffering relegation from the ESL at the end of the 2021/22 season, they finished mid table in 2022/23 before finishing in the bottom three last season and were only spared relegation out of senior football altogether due to a reprieve, can they take advantage of this in the current campaign?
Early indications suggest not, they are third bottom in the division after seven games although they did win their last game against bottom side FC Baresi 1-0 in what was a battle between two sides who had one point each thus far, so to say it was a big win for St Mags was an understatement, although four points from seven games is not a great return despite that win although that result would have no doubt given them a spring in their step.
This game was a break from the league though, and they were welcoming a Haverhill Borough side to The Rec who after finishing in the bottom three of the Thurlow Nunn North Division, which is the same level as the South Division, in the last two campaigns, Borough have started this season quite well, sitting seventh in the league having won three out of their five games thus far, and last time out they thrashed bottom side Swaffham Town 4-0 at home, so they were coming into this one full of confidence.
These two have already met this season, the the League Challenge Cup, and Borough won that game 4-1 at their The New Croft facility only two weeks ago, so of course everything pointed towards an away win in this Vase tie, Borough were flying having netted twelve goals in their last three games, St Mags had shipped over three goals a game on average this season, but had kept that first clean sheet against FC Baresi, so who knows?
Well, it certainly began well for the hosts, as with just six minutes on the clock they grabbed the lead, a lovely through ball found Elijah Grant who applied a lovely finish into the far corner, and they so nearly doubled that lead when a shot from inside the box struck the inside of the post, flew across goal and was tapped home, but the flag went up for offside meaning the goal did not stand, a huge let off for the visitors.
The hosts were certainly enjoying the better of the off the contest, Borough had barely come out of the dressing room and had started very slowly, their only real chance in the opening half hour saw a header glanced wide from close range, but with seven minutes of the half remaining things were to change when the hosts allowed a ball to bounce which saw Brandon McKay get the better of a defender who then basically landed on top of him to flatten him trying to win the ball back, penalty.
And up stepped Harry Farrow to convert that spot kick, and draw his side level, and early in the second period the hosts shot themselves in the foot once again, as a defensive error allowed McKay in on goal to round keeper Albie Marsden and slot home with aplomb, and just like that Borough now had a lead to protect.
It was a lead that could and should have been extended and if it wasn't for Marsden, who twice managed to save one on one after more defensive lapses, the game would have been out of the hosts reach, St Mags did have a spell after that where they tried to find a leveller, but it wasn't forthcoming, and then with 72 minutes on the clock Borough extended that lead to put this one to bed when the superb McKay ran onto a ball over the top and lobbed Marsden to find the net.
So, after a slow start Borough won through, they will travel to either Halstead Town or Langley in the next round of the competition.
Full time St Margaretsbury 1 Haverhill Borough 3
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