BBC Essex Senior Cup Fourth Road, Tuesday 10th/Wednesday 11th November
It was another midweek double for me in the same competition, and the latest round of the BBC Essex Senior Cup, which had now reached the Fourth Road stage and the final sixteen clubs still left in the competition. Six of eight ties were taking place this week, with all but one taking place on Tuesday.
And there were two of those ties at the same ground in Billericay, New Lodge, one on Tuesday and then one on Wednesday, and I was present at both to see who would win through and join the other four clubs this week in the Quarter Finals of the competition, let's see how those two games panned out:-
Tuesday 10th November
Billericay Town Vs Little Oakley
This game pitted National League South highflyers and current holders of the BBC Essex Senior Cup Billericay Town against Isthmian North side Little Oakley who themselves were also flying in their new division this season, so both sides were playing with plenty of confidence heading into this Last sixteen County Cup tie.
The Blues have started their life back at Step Two in the non league pyramid very well indeed, and currently occupy the final play off spot in the division in seventh spot, having won half of their fourteen league games so far and only losing two, as well as being joint second highest goalscoring club in the division so far, Oakley though have also started life at their new level well too.
They sat sixth in the Isthmian North, which is Step Four, and one place and one point outside the play off zone having also won half of their sixteen league games so far, but both sides were looking to see if they could reach the Last Eight of this prestigious competition, obviously the hosts would start as favourites seeing as they were two levels above their opponents in the pyramid.
It was soon apparent that the hosts were bang up for this contest and despite a number of changes quickly took control of the tie, finding themselves two goals up inside eight minutes, opening the scoring on six minutes as James Mauges & Charlie Ruff combined to set up Elliot Long who finished well, before doubling that lead less than two minutes later as a cut back found Odei Martin Sorondo who applied the finish, and it appeared the visitors would be in for a long night.
The hosts were relentless and looked dangerous everytime they came forward, and midway through the first period it was three and a goal all the making of the visitors sadly for them, as keeper and defender collided, and saw the ball fall nicely for Jon Benton who had the simple task of side footing home into an empty net, and the tie seemed pretty much over already.
And it definitely was over twelve minutes before half time when after Benton had struck the bar with a fantastic effort, skipper Ryan Scott was quickest to react to head the rebound back past keeper Askew and make it 4-0, and the hosts added another goal before half time when Long got his second of the game, tapping home following a superb run from Mauges down the left hand side.
It had been a scintillating performance from The Blues in the opening forty five minutes, they had totally blown away their opponents who had no answer to their quality of play, and they had been ruthless too, the tie was over but how many would Billericay get, Oakley's only thing to play for now was pride and not be totally humiliated, although being outplayed by a side as good as the hosts are isn't something to be embarrassed about, they were that good.
A number of changes came from both sides after half time, but it was Billericay who found a sixth goal just before the hour mark, Benton grabbing his second of the contest, and it was another lovely move that ended with Benton and Ruff playing a one two that saw the former thump home first time into the bottom corner, and with eleven minutes remaining the hosts completed the scoring as Ruff got his goal to cap a decent showing, finishing off a lightning counter to slot home following a pass from Frankie Merrifield.
The holders then breeze through to the last eight and will take some stopping in this competition if they play like this, it was a painful experience for Oakley for sure but they came up against probably one of the best sides in Essex right now, and were totally outclassed by their National League South opponents. This should not discourage from what has been a very good season so far for the visitors.
The Blues though were brilliant, and ruthless, and rampant, a superb performance.
Full time Billericay Town 7 Little Oakley 0
Wednesday 11th November
Hutton Vs Aveley
The game saw Essex Senior League new boys Hutton attempting to cause another shock in this competition, they were up against Isthmian Premier Aveley who held a two level advantage over their opponents this evening, but they would have been wary of a Hutton side who arguably caused one of the shocks of the season when they came from two goals down to dump National League South Braintree Town out in the last round at New Lodge.
Hutton started their season at their new level, Step Five, slowly but over the last few weeks have picked up, and are sitting ninth in the ESL having won five of their fourteen league games so far, most of them coming recently, Aveley's start to their campaign sees them down in 15th spot in the Isthmian North, that's step three, having lost half of their sixteen league games so far, although they have also won six of them too and are only five points off sixth spot.
But tonight is was all about who could reach the Final Eight of the county cup, with the visitors favourites ahead of the tie, but Hutton like being the underdogs and would have no fear in this one, especially after their stunning comeback win in the last round, and for the first twenty minutes or so in this contest, there wasn't much in it, but once that period had passed Aveley began to create chances, and just before the half hour mark, they took one, as Harry Critchley rose to head home an Albie Armin corner.
Hutton continued to stay in the contest and battle hard against their higher league opponents, and at half time they were only one goal behind and still very much in the contest despite not creating too much of note going forward, but, five minutes into the second period Francis Mampolo fired home an unstoppable effort into the top corner of the hosts net, and doubled Aveley's advantage, and you felt then it was now going to be too a big a mountain to climb for the home side.
The Millers were now in total control of the contest, and made some changes to freshen things up, and after the restart following those substitutions, Aveley added a third goal, Mampolo turning provider this time, bursting down the left before firing across goal for an easy tap in for Shad Ngandu, 0-3, and the game was well and truly won with twenty minutes still to go.
Hutton to their credit kept fighting and battling hard, as they always do, but they struggled to make much of an impression on their opponents in this tie, and even when they tried to attack and search for a goal back in this one, Aveley kept them at arms length, and sadly for the home side they were to gift the visitors a fourth goal in the 88th minute, a ball forward saw the keeper slide and appear to claim the ball on the edge of his box.
But, the ball then squirmed from his grasp, and he was unable to regather and saw the ball fall to Said Mariche who turned and fired the ball into the empty net and Aveley were now rubber stamping their authority in terms of the score line too, and they still had time to add a fifth goal before the end, good play between Mampolo & Luke Kelly ended with Alejandro Machado being sent through to fire beyond the keeper, and cap a fine performance from the visiting side.
A good night for the Millers then who take their place in the Quarter Finals of the County Cup, they proved far too strong for their opponents this evening, an opponent who dumped out National League South opposition no less in the last round of course, it wasn't to be for Hutton this evening, they were well beaten in the end, and must now turn their attentions back to the league, but for them to reach the Last 16 of the County Cup was a very good achievement nonetheless.
Full time Hutton 0 Aveley 5
There were four other ties that took place on Tuesday, let's see how those went and who joined Billericay Town & Aveley in the Quarter Finals of the BBC Essex Senior Cup:-
Stanway Rovers 3 Waltham Abbey 0 (Rovers are into the Quarter Finals after victory over Abbey at The Hawthorns, the hosts led thanks to a goal seven minutes before half time, and it remained this way till late on when the hosts added two late goals to end up with a 3-0 win)
Rayleigh Town 0 Hullbridge Sports 4 (Sports grabbed a comfortable win against Rayleigh Town at The Len Salmon to progress into the last eight, Jack Unwin gave them a 15th minute lead and the lead was doubled six minutes before half time through Denzel Effah. Fred Agyemang then added a third early on in the second half before the scoring was completed with eleven minutes to go courtesy of a Nick Dembelle spot kick)
Wivenhoe Town 1 Witham Town 2 (Witham survived a scare against opposition two levels below them to squeeze through in the competition, the visitors took the lead but were pegged back thanks to a leveller from Mason Gillam, however the visitors were to net again which proved enough for them to take the win)
Tilbury 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 2 (The Daggers saw off a side two levels below them to progress, this despite going down to ten men before the half hour mark. Freddie Ingram had given the visitors a seventh minute lead but then saw Jack Bateson sent off in the 27th minute, but, Tilbury could not take advantage of this and when Wiktor Makowski buried a spot kick with eighteen minutes to go, it sealed victory for the Daggers)
So, six of the Quarter Finalists are now known, with two more still to be decided in games to come in the following two weeks, Colchester United host Hashtag United on the 17th November, and then Redbridge host Grays Athletic on the 23rd November, the draw for the Last Eight takes place on Friday 13th November.
That completes my latest blog, thanks once again for reading and taking your time too, it is very much appreciated.
No comments:
Post a Comment