Season 2015/16 - Quarter-Finals

So we are now down to the Last Four and the Semi Final stage of the FA Vase now after the Quarter Final Ties were completed over two weekends.  Sadly for me I was unable to attend my Last Eight tie between Morpeth Town and Bristol Manor Farm after it was rearranged for Saturday 27^th February following the postponement the weekend before and I was already committed to a very good friend’s wedding on that day so I therefore had to miss the Tie up in the North East.  However through the power of internet I still decided to do a report on the game so here goes (apologies if I get anything incorrect!!)

Morpeth Town 2 Bristol Manor Farm 0 - FA Vase Quarter Final, Saturday 27th February 2016

So a week later than planned Morpeth Town welcomed Bristol Manor Farm to Craik Park for an FA Vase Quarter Final tie. Both teams had gone on the road and won in the last round, Morpeth at Berkhamsted and Manor Farm at Sunderland RCA.

Neither side are used to losing this season after impressive league campaigns so far and so this would no doubt be a more than competitive cup tie in the North East.  The hosts settled the quicker and were on the front foot early on and it was no surprise when they took a 12th minute lead through veteran defender Chris Swailes, converting from close range after a header had been flicked across goal, to put the hosts one up.

The hosts continued to dominate as Farm struggled to get out of their own half but on a rare foray forward midway through the half the visitors went close as Dean Stamp headed just wide from eight yards.  This was really the only time the hosts goal was threatened throughout a first half dominated by the Northern League side and on 34 minutes The Highwayman's captain Sean Taylor went close with a spectacular overhead kick. 

Six minutes before half time the hosts had another chance as Taylor advanced into the left hand side of the area but saw Farm keeper Clark block his effort before three minutes later a huge let off for the visitors from Bristol saw Taylor again break into the area but drag his effort wide. It really should of been a second for the hosts and just before half time another chance for Morpeth saw Carr's free kick saved by Clark. 

So despite the hosts domination they only had a one goal lead to show for it so the visitors knew they were still well in this tie as the half time whistle sounded.

Half Time Morpeth Town 1 Bristol Manor Farm 0

Moments into the second half the hosts came so close to that elusive second goal as James Novak smashed a twenty yard drive off the left hand post as the visitors survived again and this seemed to wake them up somewhat as they started to get a foothold in the game and apply some pressure on the Morpeth side. 

Seven minutes into the half Pete Shepherd fired into the side netting in a warning to the hosts in what was to come.   You felt as the half went on the visitors were becoming more and more confident and the side in the ascendancy as the hosts began to struggle to have as much possession they enjoyed earlier on in the contest.

With twenty minutes left the visitors should of levelled as a loose ball fell to Shepherd in the hosts area but he fired well over from ten yards and with ten minutes to go another chance for Manor Farm saw Shepherd head just wide as the visitors were really starting to make the game more and more uncomfortable for the hosts and the home crowd.

As the game headed towards the last few minutes the hosts found themselves under heavy pressure from Manor Farm as the south west side desperately searched for an equaliser to take the tie into extra time.  Alas they could not find a way through and four minutes into stoppage time, with the visitors pushing forward for a leveller, they were caught on the break and saw the ball laid across goal on a plate for Dale Pearson to convert from close range unmarked and send the EBAC Northern League Division One side through to a semi final showdown with ESL side Bowers & Pitsea over two legs in March.

Full Time Morpeth Town 2 Bristol Manor Farm 0

So Manor Farm gave it a good go in the second half although arguably should of been out of the tie at half time but did well to battle as hard as they did.  However Morpeth also deserve credit for digging in second half and coming through with the win.  It sure was a good battle, a battle ultimately won by the hosts in the end.

Here are some highlights of Morpeth Town 2 Bristol Manor Farm 0

Right now here is a roundup of the other Quarter Final ties:- (thanks to thefa.com for the round-ups)

Hereford FC 3 Camberley Town 2 (aet)

John Mills pounced in extra time to bag his 41st goal of the season and send Hereford FC through to the FA Vase semi-final with a 3-2 victory over Camberley Town.  The visitors, who have reached five cup finals in the last two seasons, took the lead midway through the first half with Matthew Bunyan on target. Hereford levelled the score though on 66 minutes with a Mike Symons penalty, but with 15 minutes left on the clock Bunyan bagged his and Camberley’s second. An upset looked on the cards, but the Bulls pulled level with 10 minutes to go through Mustapha Bundu and moved a step closer to Wembley when Mills struck in the 120th minute.

Some highlights of Hereford 3 Camberley Town 2

Salisbury 3 Ashford United 0                                                

Steve Claridge’s Salisbury will join them in the last four following a 3-0 win over Ashford United. Kane O’Keefe got the ball rolling with his 20th goal of the season and Taurean Roberts doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.  And, seconds after the restart, O’Keefe scored his second and Salisbury’s third to ensure their progress.

Some highlights of Salisbury 3 Ashford United 0

Bowers & Pitsea 3 Kidlington 3 (aet)
Bowers & Pitsea will replay their quarter-final clash with Kidlington next weekend after a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Len Salmon Stadium.  Kristian Thomas struck twice in the opening 10 minutes to stun the home side, but Bowers pulled a goal back on 12 minutes when Alfie Hilton turned in James Stevens’ cross.  That is the way it stayed until the interval, but within the first 20 minutes of the second half Bowers were in front, Stevens curling in a free-kick before Lewis Manor completed the turnaround.  Kidlington though, refused to be beaten, and Anaclet Odhiambo popped up with the equaliser to send the tie to extra time.  But with the sides unable to be separated in the additional 30 minutes they will go again in a replay in Oxfordshire.

Some highlights of Bowers & Pitsea 3 Kidlington 3 (aet)

Replay

Kidlington 0 Bowers & Pitsea 4

Bowers & Pitsea will take on Morpeth Town in the semi-finals of The FA Vase after running out 4-0 winners after a 100-mile trip to Kidlington.  It was the hosts who started well however, with Kristian Thomas unlucky to see his booming header crash off the underside of the bar and to safety, but James Stevens opened the scoring brilliantly for Bowers with a long-range effort from the right.  Henry Owen could have equalised before half time when the ball fell to him five yards out, but his shot was straight at Martyn Guest.  Sub Ben Weedon then struck the bar again for Kidlington early in the second half, but it was skipper Tom Franklin’s red card on 48 minutes that changed the game.  Bowers & Pitsea doubled their advantage when Luke Wilson headed in just two minutes later, and the visitors were then well on top and ran riot for the remainder of the contest.  Another replacement, Jamie Salmon, made the result certain on 71 minutes before Ross Adams put the cherry on top with a classy 20-yard finish ten minutes from time.

Some Highlights of Kidlington 0 Bowers & Pitsea 4

So after all the drama of the Last Eight the Semi Final line up looks like this:-

Hereford Vs Salisbury

Bowers & Pitsea Vs Morpeth Town

The First Leg ties at Hereford and Bowers & Pitsea are scheduled to be played on Saturday 12^th March with the return legs at Salisbury and Morpeth Town taking place a week later on Saturday 19^th March.

So that concludes my blog on the Quarter Finals.  I’ll be at both semi-finals between Bowers & Pitsea and Morpeth Town (weather permitting of course!!!) and no doubt it will a tight battle in both games.  Wembley is only two games away now for the four remaining sides!!!  I’ll have a review of the semi-final 1^st legs after the ties on March 12^th,  so until then it’s bye for now.