Queens Park Rangers 0 Watford 1

Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round Proper, Friday 15th February 2019

Etienne Capoue’s goal in first half stoppage time was enough the Premier League Watford to defeat Championship Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road and take their place in the Quarter-Finals of the Emirates FA Cup.

Watford have been having a decent season and sit eighth in the Premier League as one of the ‘best of the rest’ after the top six, whilst hosts QPR have plummeted from eighth to eighteenth after five straight losses in the Championship, so this cup run for them at least was a welcome distraction to that.

QPR had disposed of fellow championship side Leeds United and then League One Portsmouth in a replay to get this far, whilst Watford had got the better of National League side Woking and also Premier League Newcastle United to reach the Last 16. 

Premier League sides are notorious for naming weakened sides in this competition recently, but Watford see this as a terrific chance to maybe get all the way, so they named a very strong side, and the home fans amongst me at least were not very confident of victory and some were predicting a heavy away win.

But this is the FA Cup so anything can happen right?  Well I’m sure the majority of the sold-out crowd at Loftus Road hoped for an upset anyway.  There were also no replays in the Fifth Road onwards this season so this game would have to be settled right here right now.

The first chance of the game did fall to the visitors although chances in the opening period were few and far between, especially for the visitors, but the chance did see Daryl Janmaat poke over the bar on the stretch, whilst the hosts, who were looking to breach the Hornet’s defence for the first time in this year’s competition, saw Massimo Luongo fire just wide after Heurelho Gomes had punched a cross straight to him.

And Gomes, who was celebrating his 38^th birthday, made a terrific save to deny the Hoops after a ball over the top from Luke Freeman found Nahki Wells whose first-time volley was somehow tipped wide by the Watford keeper.

It looked as though the half would end goalless though, but in the first minute of stoppage time Watford struck with their only shot on target when Tom Cleverley totally mis-kicked his volley across the box, but it was a perfect tee-up for Capoue who sent a first-time effort into the bottom corner of the net, and the Premier League side led at the break.

Half Time Queens Park Rangers 0 Watford 1

The second period saw the Championship hosts really take the game to their Premier League opponents, and Wells was presented with the ball in a dangerous position after a poor defensive clearance, but he could only curl wide of the upright.

QPR continued to press but could not find a way through and as the half went on Watford were trying to punish them on the counter, and in the 87^th minute almost sealed the tie when Andre Gray was sent through but was flagged offside as he rounded the keeper and slotted home, but replays suggest he may have been level when the ball was played, so had their been VAR then the goal may have stood.

The championship side though continued to press and search for that elusive goal which would take the tie into extra-time, and boy should they have found it late on as a ball to the back post found Darnell Furlong who fizzed a volley across goal to the back-post where skipper Toni Leistner came sliding in but somehow put his effort wide with the goal gaping, it was a horror miss and it just wasn’t going to be QPR’s night.

The hosts had given it a right good go but fell short in the end, and Watford had put in a determined performance and had to dig deep in this one to keep yet another clean sheet in the FA Cup but also win through to the Last Eight of the competition.

Full Time Queens Park Rangers 0 Watford 1 

Walthamstow 0 Enfield 0

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 13th February 2019

Enfield put in a heroic performance to gain a well-earned point at Kitchener Road against Walthamstow, a result that struck a blow to the hosts slim title/promotion aspirations.

The hosts came into this knowing that a win would keep the pressure on the teams above them in the top four and keep their slim hopes of catching them alive, whilst for Enfield they were looking to put a spanner in the works of another title/promotion chasing side for the second game running, as well as improve their league position further still.

Stow were on the front foot from the off and had the ball in the net from their first attack but the flag had gone up for offside, and then Leon McKenzie then produced a wonderful lobbed finish into the far corner but again the flag had already gone up, chalking that one off too.

The hosts then saw an effort another effort bundled off the line, before the following corner was headed off target, whilst the visitors did manage an effort of their own finally but saw that effort sail well over the bar.

However, it was Stow who continued to carve out the chances and saw Gebrai control a cross but send a weak volley into the arms of Jamie Merrells, and then moments after see Dwade James burst clear but his effort was straight into Merrells hands.

Gebrai then saw an effort deflect just wide of the visitors goal, before the visitors won a free-kick in a dangerous position up the other end, but Ben Bradbury’s effort curled just wide, before the hosts had the ball in the net for a third time in the half, but again it was illegally as Marcus Bowers saw his long throw go straight into the net, which if course is not allowed.

Enfield then saw a great cross-field ball to the far post volleyed back across goal but Bransgrove managed to gather, whilst down the other end McKenzie forced a decent stop from Merrells before the resulting corner was headed wide.

James then saw a header brilliantly tipped over by Merrells, before the corner saw another James effort cleared off the line, and it meant the game remained, somehow, all square at the break.

Half Time Walthamstow 0 Enfield 0

Initally the hosts continued their onslaught on the visitor’s goal and came so close to taking the lead when James burst into the box and thumped an effort against the post, and then another James effort was beaten away by Merrells.

The hosts then saw a header fly over, and you wondered if it was going to be one of those days in front of goal for them.

Thereafter though the visitors began to get themselves into the contest somewhat and saw an effort from Bradbury straight at Bransgrove, before a dangerous ball into the Stow area was not dealt with and saw the visitors fire over the bar from a decent position.

It was becoming a decent little spell for Enfield now and another effort was blocked before Bradbury again sent an effort straight at keeper Bransgrove, whilst down the other end Gebrai did send an effort just wide of the Enfield goal.

Enfield then attacked down the left and a ball into the box eventually fell to the back post but the effort was sliced way over, before Stow sent another header over the bar as the game approached it’s final fifteen minutes.

Both sides almost capitalised on defensive slips with five minutes to go, before the visitors then saw Bransgrove block an effort before down the other end Bowers saw an effort beaten away by Merrells.

Enfield then almost nicked it at the death when Bradbury so nearly got on the end of a flick on, but Bransgrove did just enough to make sure the ball did not find its way in, and it meant the game ended goalless, seriously harming the hosts chances of promotion, whilst Enfield could celebrate a terrific point and another clean sheet to boot.

Full Time Walthamstow 0 Enfield 0

St Margaretsbury 2 Takeley 2

Essex Senior League Premier Division, Tuesday 12th February 2019

The points were shared at The Recreation Ground as St Margaretsbury and Takeley played out a rather feisty and competitive encounter in the Essex Senior League Premier Division.

The hosts knew a win over their title/promotion chasing opponents would take them into seventh spot, whilst for Takeley three points would take them into second spot, just three behind leaders Stansted.

And after barely a minute the hosts should have taken the lead when a powerful effort from inside the area was well saved by Ronnie Yates in the Takeley goal, but in the sixth minute the home side did edge ahead when a cross found its way to Connor Scully who drilled beyond Yates to give his side the lead.

The lead though lasted barely a minute as Takeley brought themselves back on level terms as Josh Sykes got through to fire beyond the keeper into the far corner and we had a level scoreline once again.

The hosts then curled a decent effort over the bar before they restored their lead in the 19^th minute as a loose ball inside the box saw Scully fire home his second of the game and see the title chasing visitors behind once again.

But just like the first goal, the visitors almost got back on level terms immediately but this time their effort at goal was blocked on the line before being cleared away, and then down the other end a one-two ended with a weak shot at Yates as St Margs looked for a third goal.

Yates was called into action again, making another fine stop, before Takeley saw an effort deflect into the side netting, and the resulting corner was eventually scrambled clear, before another ball into the hosts area saw the eventual effort fired over the bar.

It did mean the hosts held a slender lead at the break, and it had been a decent half of football with still all to play for.

Half Time St Margaretsbury 2 Takeley 1

Takeley did manage to find a leveller twelve minutes into the second period when the hosts gave away a silly penalty, as after the keeper had seemed to got control of the ball, a defender fell on him and the ball squirmed free, allowing Sykes to pinch it away, and in desperation the defender hauled him down, and the referee had no choice but to award a penalty.

After a lengthy stoppage for treatment to the stricken keeper, Mitchell Das stepped up to convert the spot-kick, but moments later St Margaretsbury should have retaken the lead but saw a close-range volley somehow kept out by Yates.  Sadly for the home side their keeper had to be taken off soon after as he failed to recover from that injury sustained earlier.

I believe the hosts, who had no substitute keeper on the bench, had to use an outfield substitute in goal, and he almost gifted the visitors a leveller soon after coming on as a poor clearance went straight to Das, but a superb covering tackle thwarted him as he was about to pull the trigger.

The home side then missed another guilt edged chance when a floating cross to the back post was somehow headed over the target, but then in the 74^th minute things boiled over somewhat when Takeley forward Sykes was shown a red card for a second booking, and what followed was a mass melee as everyone got involved, resulting in a few more yellows being dished out, it had been simmering and the pressure cooker had finally exploded.

Neither side could find a winner thereafter though and so the points were shared, meaning St Margaretsbury do go seventh and Takeley also climb a place to third, now five behind leaders Stansted having played the same number of games.

Full Time St Margaretsbury 2 Takeley 2

Queens Park Rangers 2 Portsmouth 0

Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round Proper Replay, Tuesday 5th February 2019

Nahki Wells and Matt Smith netted inside the final twenty minutes to help Queens Park Rangers overcome Portsmouth in their Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round Replay at Loftus Road, setting up a home Last 16 tie against Watford.

The sides had drawn 1-1 at Fratton Park ten days ago in the original tie, and a tight and cagey affair was expected as the R’s sit 14^th in the Championship whilst Pompey, backed by over 3,000 in a lively away end, sat 3^rd in League One.

Both teams had been going through difficult patches in the league, so this was a welcome distraction and a chance to make the Last 16 of the world’s most famous competition.

Any first half chances though did fall to the hosts, and saw an early Smith headed fly wide before both Massimo Luongo and Luke Freeman fired efforts off target for the R’s, and then Darnell Furlong himself went close but could not find the back of the net.

The closest anyone came to scoring in the opening forty-five minutes though came when QPR's Furlong guided a header onto the crossbar, and with Pompey creating very little in attack the game remained goalless at the break.

Half Time Queens Park Rangers 0 Portsmouth 0

Rangers saw Wells and Freeman fire wide after the break, whilst Pompey’s best chance of the game thus far saw Gareth Evans fired wide for the visitors, but you felt the hosts were more likely to break the deadlock if indeed anyone would.

As the minutes ticked by though it seemed the game was heading towards extra-time and maybe even penalties, but QPR finally broke through a resilient Pompey back-line from a set-play, as a cross saw Joel Lynch helped on Smith’s header and saw Wells, who is on-loan from Burnley, turn and squeeze the ball home from close range to put the Championship side ahead with twenty minutes left.

This got the hosts tails up and they quickly went in search of a second, and six minutes later they found what was the clinching second when Smith rose to power home a header from a Freeman set-play and give the visitors a mountain to climb.

It was a mountain they could not climb too and despite some late pressure in stoppage time, they really didn’t threaten the hosts goal much at all over the ninety minutes, and the R’s completed a deserved victory, setting up a mouth-watering Fifth Round tie at home to Premier League Watford in front of the BT Sport camera’s a week on Friday evening.

Full Time Queens Park Rangers 2 Portsmouth 0

Biggleswade 6 Windsor 1

Buildbase FA Vase Fifth Round Proper, Sunday 3rd February 2019

Braces from Ryan Inskip and Lee Northfield helped see Biggleswade into the Quarter-Finals of the Buildbase FA Vase after they netted six second-half goals to see off Windsor at Langford Road.

The hosts came into this tie having only lost one league game all season, sitting second in the Spartan South Midlands with games in hand over Hadley at the top, whilst Windsor are having an average season in the Hellenic Premier, down in 14^th having won eight, drawn five and lost nine of their 22 league matches so far.

So advantage Biggleswade then?  Well this is a Last 16 tie in a major cup competition so it’s not always that straightforward, but it was the hosts who had an early shout for a penalty when it appeared they were bundled over inside the area, but the referee deemed it a fair challenge and played on.

The home side then nodded a looping cross from the left wide of the right-hand post, whilst they also saw an effort blocked wide moments before.  Windsor almost got in themselves but terrific defending saw the danger adverted, and the hosts then flicked a dangerous header across the six-yard box as they had certainly started the better of the two.

Despite this it was the visitors who had the best chance of the half when a ball forward saw them run onto it and in on goal, but the effort was lifted over the bar and the chance for Windsor to take a surprise lead had gone.

The hosts then headed a corner wide before Windsor had another chance late on in the half when after the keeper had flapped at a cross, the eventual loose ball was struck over the top, and it meant the sides went into the break all square and definitely all to play for in this contest.

Half Time Biggleswade 0 Windsor 0

Another bumper crowd of 557 were inside the ground to see if their side could find a goal to take control of this tie, and two minutes into the second period they got their wish when after the referee had played a brilliant advantage, the hosts burst down the right and saw a ball laid across goal find Ryan Inskip who rammed the ball into the roof of the net.

They so nearly doubled their lead but saw a brilliant effort come thumping off the crossbar, before two more efforts were saved by the visiting keeper as Biggleswade looked to turn the screw.

Windsor though then had a brief spell where they believed they could maybe get back in level terms, firstly when a snap shot from the edge of the box was saved, before another ball fired into the dangerzone was deflected away from the box.

And after the hosts had broke and made a right mess of it, the visitors again threatened when they saw another effort well saved, but in the 63^rd minute Biggleswade found a brilliant second when Ryan Inskip struck home a superb effort in off the post and the home side now had breathing space.

Biggleswade could of sealed it shortly after but somehow poked wide from inside the box, however, they did seal the contest with eighteen minutes remaining as a ball squared too Lee Northfield saw the striker compose himself before slotting home and the hosts were on their way to the Last Eight.

The hosts were now relaxed and looking likely to score everytime they went forward, and an effort spilled by the keeper almost saw the hosts gobble up the rebound, but the keeper just about gathered the loose ball.

With twelve minutes left skipper Alex Marsh curled home a superb effort into the top corner to add a fourth for the hosts and they were in party mood now, and it was so nearly five when substitute Leavers pounced on a poor back-pass from the despondent visitors but saw his effort saved.

With seven minutes remaining though it was five when Northfield was laid in and he again composed himself before slotting home his second of the game, and with four minutes left it was six when a free-kick parried by the keeper was slid home at the back post by defender Nick Henebery.

Windsor did manage a consolation when they were awarded a penalty after a foul, and saw Matt Stockill convert, but it was too little too late as the hosts breezed into the Quarters of the Vase and kept their dream of Wembley alive.

Full Time Biggleswade 6 Windsor 1

Sunderland 1 AFC Wimbledon 0

SkyBet Football League One, Saturday 2nd February 2019

Aiden McGeady struck midway through the second half to give Sunderland a precious three points after his goal was enough to defeat AFC Wimbledon in SkyBet League One at The Stadium Of Light.

This was the latest annual pilgrimage to the North-East for my step-mum and myself in honour of my late father who had been a Black Cat for over forty years until his death in 2008 through cancer, so we were hoping for better than last year when the hosts fell to a rather terrible 2-0 loss to Brentford in what was an awful season for the club.

Because of a rather forgetful two seasons, Sunderland saw themselves now in the third-tier of English football, but they had at least made changes and were now fighting at the right end of the table this term.

But the last few weeks had seen them drop points in the league and fallen to fifth in the standings, albeit with two/three games in hand on those above, so they could with wins improve this dramatically.

This was also their first home game in the league for three weeks, so a buoyant 30,000 plus crowd were again in attendance at the SOL, an incredible turnout for League One fair, and the visitors were AFC Wimbledon, who sat bottom of the table and several points from safety.

Now you would expect the hosts to claim an easy three points against the bottom side, but the visitors came into this one off the back of their famous 4-2 home win over West Ham United in the FA Cup last weekend, so the Black Cats knew this one would not be easy at all.

And the Wombles started brightly and saw hosts keeper McLaughlin almost caught out by a audacious lob from the visitors own half after they had lost possession, and then moments later Nightingale somehow fired over from six yards out.

The hosts also created an opening of their own down the other end when Lewis Morgan shifted the ball onto his left foot before firing wide from eighteen yards, but the returning Grant Leadbitter had fitted straight into the hosts midfield and looked at home instantly in what is his boyhood club.

Sunderland then saw Leadbitter send a long-range effort over after Max Power and Charlie Wyke had both failed to take a chance, and although Lewis Morgan looked a danger down right, as the half approached its conclusion there was an air of frustration inside the stadium as the hosts had failed to really turn their possession into clear-cut chances.

Half Time Sunderland 0 AFC Wimbledon 0

Whatever was said to the hosts at half-time seemed to do the trick as Sunderland saw a real sustained period of pressure put on the visitors, but it continued to be a frustrating afternoon initially as what looked like a handball was turned down, whilst manager Ross decided to take off the rather unpopular Wyke and replace him with the exciting Kazaiah Sterling.

You started to feel like it was going to be one of those days, with the visiting side putting ten players behind the ball and saying ‘come on what have yer got’ and the hosts were finding it difficult to break through.

It was going to take something special we thought, and midway though the second period we got that ‘special’ moment when McGeady received a long diagonal pass from Leadbitter, drove at the full-back on the right-hand side of the box, and then curled a wonderful effort across goal and into the far corner to send the home fans wild.  You could sense the relief inside the stadium.

You really wanted the home side to go on and grab a second, but this is Sunderland so it’s never always that straightforward!!!  The visitors did have one major chance before the game was out though, and saw Scott Wagstaff, scorer of two goals in last weekend’s FA Cup giant-killing, get into the box before his effort was well saved, although it looked like his ankles had been clipped, so he was asking for a penalty.

Thankfully for us it wasn’t given, but it was a very nervy moment, as were the final ten minutes and then the SIX minutes of stoppage time, yes SIX, that was shown to the gasps of SIX in the home crowd.  It was so tense.

But the home side saw out those six minutes fairly comfortably and took a massive three points and made our day a brilliant one!!!  Sunderland are now up to fourth, with games in hand, and with three home games coming up in a space of seven days, they need wins to get themselves right back in the title and promotion hunt once again.

For The Dons it’s looking desperate down at the foot of the table, although they do have a Last 16 FA Cup clash at home to Millwall to look forward to, so I wish them well for that at least.

Full Time Sunderland 1 AFC Wimbledon 0