Berkhamsted 3 AFC Kempston Rovers 1 - FA Vase 2nd Round Proper, Saturday 21st November 2015
The visitors would surely prove to be Berko’s toughest test in the Vase thus far having not lost a game in any competition since the end of August and are unbeaten in the league as well. Berko themselves have only lost three times since the opening month of the season and like their opponents sit third in their league, so no doubt a tight affair was expected.
The first chance came to the visitors on seven minutes when Robbie Goodman glanced a free kick wide with his head whilst visiting keeper Martin Conway had to punch a dangerous cross away on the quarter hour mark but it was a tight start between two good sides which wasn’t entirely surprising.
On twenty minutes a Berko corner was headed back into the six yard box but saw the visitors scramble clear and then midway through the half came the best chance so far as a ball to the back post was headed over by Josh Chamberlain for the hosts. On 27 minutes Sam Macrae saw his effort deflected just wide of the Berko post for a corner which was headed clear and then just past the half hour mark another good effort from the visitors Ash Fuller saw Carl Tasker right behind it who made a comfortable save.
Seven minutes before the break a cross into the visitors box saw Frank Jowle attempt an audacious back flick towards goal but Conway was more than equal to it. Then just as we all thought the first half would end scoreless came the opening goal. After Tasker had saved well from Shane Bush the ball came to Chamberlain who slipped over and in doing so fell on the ball and it touched his hand and saw the referee point to the spot. It looked very harsh indeed but Dom Marsala stepped up to send Tasker the wrong way and see the visitors go into the break a goal up.
Half Time Berkhamsted 0 AFC Kempston Rovers 1
The hosts didn’t let this setback get to them though and came out the better side in the opening exchanges of the second half and nine minutes into it they got their goal and equaliser when a free kick swung into the box saw Dale Sears convert with Chamberlain there just to make sure at the far post and level the tie up again. Berkhamsted 1 AFC Kempston Rovers 1.
Just past the hour mark Berko had to scramble a visitors free kick clear as they remained solid at the back and then with twenty minutes to go visitors winger Fuller flashed a brilliant cross through the Berko six yard box but it missed everyone by a whisker. The tie was in the balance at this stage but a minute later in the 71st minute came the moment of the game when Chamberlain got possession on the half way line, beat two players and then let fly from over forty yards out to lob keeper Conway for what was a truly magnificent goal, surely one of the best anyone who was there will see all season, it was that good. More importantly for the hosts they now had the lead. Berkhamsted 2 AFC Kempston Rovers 1.
However the visitors so nearly levelled immediately when Jermaine Ivy got in for Rovers but Tasker saved well to keep them out. With eight minutes to go it was the visitors who were now chasing the game still and they were putting the pressure on the hosts defence and a cross saw Bush head well wide although he was stretching for it it what was a difficult chance.
And then with six minutes to go the hosts near enough sealed their passage into Round Three when a ball out from the back was controlled but then lost by the defence and saw a three on one break for the hosts and after the ball was played to Aaron Nash-Barker who twisted and turned his defender before hitting across Conway and in off the post and give the home side some breathing space. Berkhamsted 3 AFC Kempston Rovers 1.
The visitors afternoon got worse when sub Vinny Shrieves, who had only just come on a minute or so earlier, sent off for an apparent head butt on George Carbery. He also had an altercation with one of the Berko officials on the bench as he walked off so no doubt he will face some sort of action for that. It was certainly out of context in a game which had been keenly fought throughout but fairly also.
The visitors had one last long range effort saved by Tasker but that was that and the hosts had taken their place in the Last 64 of the Vase.
Berkhamsted 3 AFC Kempston Rovers 1
So the hosts prevail again to take their place in the Last 64 of the competition and they will face Saffron Walden Town at Catons Lane, Saffron Walden, in what should be another interesting battle and I finally get to visit another ground on this Vase Trail too!!!
Right now here are all the results from the Second Round Proper of the Vase:-
Friday 20th November
Sutton Common Rovers 3 BeckenhamTown 2
Saturday 21st November
Runcorn Town 3 Garforth Town 0
Colne 3 Newton Aycliffe 5 (aet)
Seaham Red Star 3 Maltby Main 1
Handsworth Parramore 3 Hallam 2
Hemsworth MW 1 Sunderland RCA 5
Whitley Bay 1 Dunston UTS 2
AFC Mansfield 1 Alsager Town 1 (aet)
Walsall Wood 4 Holbeach United 1
AFC Bridgnoth 1 Alvechurch 2
Coventry Sphinx 2 Brocton 3
Coleshill Town 4 Dunkirk 2
Hereford 4 Haugemond 1
Long Eaton United 2 Pinxton 3
Heanor Town 1 Leicester Nirvana 3
Cleethorpes Town 2 Racing Club Warwick 0
Quorn 1 AFC Wulfrunians 2
Nuneaton Griff 1 Highgate United 1 (aet)
St Andrews 4 Shirebrook Town 0
Stotfold 1 AFC Dunstable 3
Bowers & Pitsea 3 Flackwell Heath 2
Yaxley 3 London Colney 2
Sporting Bengal United 1 Sleaford Town 3 (aet)
Gorleston 3 FC Romania 4 (aet)
Ipswich Wanderers 1 Cricklewood Wanderers 0
Hertford Town 3 Barking 2
Biggleswade United 1 Saffron Walden Town 3
Kirkley & Pakefield 1 Edgware Town 2
Basildon United 7 Northampton Sileby Rangers 1
Stanway Rovers 2 Mildenhall Town 1
Berkhamsted 3 AFC Kempston Rovers 1
Knaphill 3 Tunbridge Wells 0
Newhaven 1 Camberley Town 2
Ashford United 2 Steyning Town 1
Eastbourne Town 5 Greenwich Borough 4
Pagham 0 Thame United 3
Lordswood 4 Carterton 1
Hailsham Town 1 Ascot United 4
Tadley Calleva 4 Haywards Heath Town 0
Kidlington 7 Deal Town 0
Colliers Wood United 2 Loxwood 0
Hartley Wintney 3 Windsor 1
Hallen 0 Moneyfields 1
Highworth Town 2 Odd Down 1
Salisbury 4 AFC St Austell 0
Bradford Town 6 Cadbury Heath 3
Buckland Athletic 2 Sholing 1 (aet)
Welton Rovers 1 Plymouth Parkway 0
Newport (IW) 3 Abbey Rangers 1
Bodmin Town 3 Melksham Town 1
Bristol Manor Farm 2 Lymington Town 1
Hengrove Athletic 2 Barnstaple Town 1
Brimscombe & Thrupp 3 Torpoint Athletic 2
Sunday 22nd November
Coventry United 1 Uttoxeter Town 2
Canterbury City 3 Erith & Belvedere 2
Monday 23rd November
Atherton Colleries 3 Chadderton 0
Tuesday 24th November
Consett 0 South Shields 1 (aet)
Norwich United 0 Hullbridge Sports 1 (aet)
Marske United 6 Runcorn Linnets 2
Replay
Alsager Town 3 AFC Mansfield 1
Wednesday 25th November
North Shields 3 Ashington 0
Guisborough Town 1 Team Northumbria 2 (aet)
Morpeth Town W-O 1874 Northwich (walkover for Morpeth Town - 1874 Northwich unable to fulfill fixture)
Thursday 26th November
FC Broxbourne Borough 2 Greenhouse Sports 1 (aet)
Tuesday 1st December
Replay
Highgate United 2 Nuneaton Griff 4 (at Coleshill Town FC)
Wednesday 2nd December
Tadcaster Albion 4 Worksop Town 1
And here is the Third Round Proper fixtures to be played next weekend:-
Saturday 12th December
Marske United Vs Team Northumbria
Sunderland RCA Vs Tadcaster Albion
Newton Aycliffe Vs Atherton Collieries
South Shields Vs Morpeth Town
North Shields Vs Runcorn Town
Dunston UTS Vs Seaham Red Star
Alsager Town Vs AFC Wulfrunians
St Andrews Vs Leicester Nirvana
Handsworth Parramore Vs Cleethorpes Town
Pinxton Vs Nuneaton Griff
Walsall Wood Vs Alvechurch
Uttoxeter Town Vs Coleshill Town
Hereford Vs Brocton
Saffron Walden Town Vs Berkhamsted
FC Broxbourne Borough Vs Bowers & Pitsea
Hullbridge Sports Vs Stanway Rovers
AFC Dunstable Vs Basildon United
Edgware Town Vs Ipswich Wanderers
Yaxley Vs Sleaford Town
Hertford Town Vs FC Romania
Colliers Wood United Vs Hartley Wintney
Thame United Vs Kidlington
Ascot United Vs Camberley Town
Lordswood Vs Ashford United
Eastbourne Town Vs Sutton Common Rovers
Tadley Calleva Vs Newport (IW)
Canterbury City Vs Knaphill
Moneyfields Vs Brimscombe & Thrupp
Buckland Athletic Vs Bradford Town
Highworth Town Vs Salisbury
Welton Rovers Vs Bodmin Town
Bristol Manor Farm Vs Hengrove Athletic
I'll be back with a review of my Last 64 tie at Saffron Walden Town Vs Berkhamsted at Catons Lane as well as a results round up and next round fixtures on conclusion of the Third Round Proper, until then its cheerio!!!
