BBC Essex Senior Cup Third Round, Tuesday 21st October
There were fourteen Third Round ties taking place on this evening in the BBC Essex Senior Cup, and I was at the tie between Isthmian Premier Billericay Town & Isthmian North side Waltham Abbey at New Lodge.
Yes the hosts were in a higher division than their opponents, but The Blues had struggled this season and were fifth bottom in their division and only above the drop zone on goal difference, and with Abbey sitting in ninth in the North Division, potentially this could be a rather intriguing tie.
Both were beginning their County Cup campaigns as they had both come into the competition at this stage being Step Four and above, and both were looking to get themselves into that Last 16 draw which takes place on Friday (24th October) so if your reading this before that date, then this quote still applies, if not then that draw would have already taken place!!!
The early exchanges were fairly even although you could see the hosts had maybe half a yard of extra pace and movement, as expected, but once the hosts got into their stride they began to become a real threat, and with twelve minutes remaining of the first period they grabbed the lead, the excellent Alfie Cerulli hammered a ball into the danger zone and saw Freddie Hockey divert a powerful effort beyond visiting keeper Lenny Jones and hand the hosts a deserved half time lead.
Could the hosts go on and run away with this tie in the second half? Well, twelve minutes after the break they did double their cushion when Jack Evans was given all the time in the world from range, probably 20-25 yards out, to pick his spot and fire a brilliant low drive beyond Jones and into the bottom corner, and now it seemed The Blues would cruise into the next round.
However, Abbey were not to lie down and if truth be told had the better of the remainder of the game, and the hosts had to work very hard to keep them at bay and finding a goal that would really put the tie in the balance, but despite a lot of Abbey possession and pressure on the hosts goal, they didn't test keeper Dondre Abraham and could not find that all important goal back.
Of course Town had their moments too, and could have added a third goal to really kill off the tie, but two minutes into added on time they did find that third goal, which turned out to be the final act of this contest, Liam Nash doing well down the right before his ball across the box found Cerulli who took a touch before finding the bottom corner with aplomb to cap a decent performance from himself and also seal his sides passage into Round Four.
Full time Billericay Town 3 Waltham Abbey 0
Well done to Billericay then, who else could join them in the hat for Round Four along with Essex Senior League side Little Oakley who thrashed National League South side Dagenham & Redbridge a week ago, let's see how the other thirteen ties on this evening went:-
Maldon & Tiptree 1 Walthamstow 0 (Macaulay Bonne's 85th minute goal saw Maldon & Tiptree battle past Walthamstow in their all Isthmian North tie)
Takeley 1 Great Wakering Rovers 1 (Great Wakering Rovers won 5-4 on penalties) (These two were battling promotion against each other last term in the Essex Senior League, but now Isthmian North Takeley were humbled at home by GWR on penalties. The hosts did lead midway through the second half courtesy of an own goal, but Harry Talbot levelled with seven to go to force spot kicks, which the visitors won to prevail)
Redbridge 1 Hornchurch 3 (National League South league leaders Hornchurch got the better of Isthmian North Redbridge at Oakside, Solomon Ogunwomoju had given the hosts an eighth minute lead, but The Urchins fought back and saw Darren McQueen level three minutes later before McQueen then put them in front just before the half hour mark. And McQueen completed his hat trick ten minutes into the second half to make sure the visitors won through to the next round.
Colchester United 1 Aveley 3 (Isthmian Premier Aveley produced a brilliant performance to see off League Two side Colchester United, Suley Zuhdu gave The Millers a ninth minute lead before Jayden Gipson doubled that lead just before the midway point in the first half, and when Zuhdu added another early in the second half the game looked done. Kaion Lisbie did pull one back for The Us midway through the second half but it was too little too late as Aveley progressed)
Brentwood Town 3 Brightlingsea Regent 2 (Isthmian Premier leaders Brentwood edged past struggling Isthmian North Regent to progress, George Doyle stunned the home side after six minutes to give Regent the lead but soon levelled through Danny Ogunleye five minutes later. Charlie Durling though restored the visitors lead twenty minutes from time but the hosts fought back again to level through Benas Vaivada in the 76th minute before netting the winner in stoppage time thanks to Charlie Edwards)
Canvey Island 1 Benfleet 1 (Benfleet won 4-1 on penalties) (Essex Senior League Benfleet stunned their former landlords, Isthmian North Canvey, to progress in the County Cup on penalties after a dramatic ending to normal time. It looked like Max Fiddes 33rd minute goal would be enough for the hosts to progress, that was until Benfleet keeper Florent Gislette levelled late on to send the tie to spot kicks, a shootout that saw Benfleet dominate to progress)
Harwich & Parkeston 2 Woodford Town 1 (Harwich won their all Essex Senior League tie against Woodford, Yemi Adelani put the visitors ahead just before the half hour mark but Zach Pedro levelled after the break before Shaun Avis netted the winner with three minutes to go to send the hosts through)
Grays Athletic 4 Southend United 0 (Grays saw off a young Shrimpers outfit to progress, the Isthmian North hosts broke the deadlock three minutes into the second period through Jack Turner before a Sam Bantick penalty made it two in the 51st minute, Oscar Shelvey netted a third in the 63rd minute before Bantick, who left to join Witham Town after this contest, added his second and fourth for Grays in stoppage time)
Hullbridge Sports 1 Witham Town 3 (Isthmian North Witham Town came from behind to see off Essex Senior League Sports at Lower Road, the hosts led through George Briton-Watkins in the 16th minute but saw Town level seven minutes before half time courtesy of Darius Gabriel Ghinea. William Ademiluyi then handed Witham the lead with ten minutes to go before Gabe Campbell sealed the tie two minutes after)
Hashtag United 6 Concord Rangers 0 (Isthmian Premier Tags thrashed Isthmian North visitors Concord to win through to Round Four, Jaxon Brown netted the opener in the 22nd minute before netting again six minutes before the break, Praise Ogbebor then made it 3-0 six minutes into the second half before Bradley Sach made it four midway through the second period. Luke May-Parrott then made it five a minute later before the scoring was completed in the 90th minute thanks to a second of the night for Sach)
Athletic Newham 0 Bowers & Pitsea 6 (Isthmian North high flyers Bowers cruised past Essex Senior League Athletic Newham at Parsloes, Ross Wall gave the visitors a 12th minute lead but the hosts had a great chance to level early in the second half but saw a Chuks Uzor penalty saved by Joseph Whitney, and it proved a pivotal moment in the game as barely a minute later mike Faulkner doubled the visitors lead. Jon Evans then made it three nil in the 56th minute and then it was four when Kai Redgrave netted making it three Bowers goals in five second half minutes. Elton Tettey then made it four second half goals in ten minutes, and the same man netted again on 66 minutes to make it five for the visitors as they took their place in Round Four)
Heybridge Swifts 4 Burnham Ramblers 0 (Isthmian North Swifts won their local derby against Thurlow Nunn South Ramblers to progress, Adeyeye gave the hosts the lead midway through the first period before Dylan Logan doubled their lead three minutes later, and when Ben McCrow added a third on half time, the tie was as good as done. Swifts did add a fourth in the second period, Mason Gillam adding another with twelve minutes remaining, and Swifts cruised into the next round)
Halstead Town 0 Chelmsford City 3 (National League South Chelmsford City saw off Essex Senior League Halstead at Rosemary Lane to progress, with all the damage done in the first half. Jett Murphy handed the hosts the lead after just four minutes before Archie Tamplin doubled their lead just past the quarter hour mark, and when Murphy added another twelve minutes before half time, it was as good as over. The Humbugs did improve after the break but they were well beaten by their higher level opponents who won through to Round Four)
So, that means fifteen of the sixteen Last 16 spots are now filled, their is one more Third Round tie left to play which sees Isthmian North Tilbury host National League South Braintree Town at Chadfields on October 28th, and as said the draw for Round Four takes place on Friday October 24th.
That concludes my latest blog, hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading as always!!!
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