Season 2017-18 - Third Round Proper

Saturday 2^nd December

Hullbridge Sports 3 Enfield 1893 2

Two Jimmy Cox penalties helped see Hullbridge Sports win a frenetic all Essex Senior League FA Vase contest at Lower Road against Enfield 1893 to make the Last 32 of the competition.

The hosts came close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute when after Cox had kept the ball in down the left, his cross into the dangerzone found the head of Michael Salako but keeper Michael Corderoy pulled off a brilliant save to deny the hosts an early advantage.

However midway through the half the hosts were awarded a penalty when a Joe Pattison effort struck the hand of a defender and saw a penalty given although the visitors felt hard done by as it was struck at him from a short distance.  Anyway Cox put the spot kick away and the hosts had the advantage.

On the half hour mark John Bricknell sent a free kick just over for the visitors as they looked to respond to going behind, and as the half wore down towards it’s conclusion Enfield were applying some pressure however the hosts were just about keeping them at bay and went into the break a goal up.

Half Time Hullbridge Sports 1 Enfield 1893 0

If the visitors were unhappy after the first half penalty, they were even more unhappy four minutes after the break when a cross struck a defenders arm inside the box, however the referee gave a free kick, much to the hosts disbelief, however after he discussed with his assistant he changed his mind and gave the penalty, and saw the visitors go mad.

Anyway after two or three minutes of sorting everything out Cox duly stepped up to convert his second penalty of the afternoon and see the hosts grab a two goal advantage.  Enfield though were furious.

And moments after they were incandescent with rage after they felt they should of had a penalty for a foul inside the box but it was not given, and Enfield went absolutely mental, as they felt they weren’t getting the decisions in this one.

Just past the hour mark and with Enfield trying to find a way back into the game, Ben Bradbury saw an effort go straight at Harley, who was then subbed after a calf muscle injury, meaning substitute keeper Jamie Merrells took over in goal.

Enfield then saw a deep ball towards the far post knocked wide, but then with just under twenty minutes to go Enfield were awarded a spot kick of their own, and Bricknell stepped up to fire home and it was game on.

And minutes later Hullbridge keeper Merralls was shown a straight red for kicking out at visitors substitute Josh Sykes, who was also booked for his part in proceedings, however the tie had become rather tasty.  It also meant Cox, who had netted both Hullbridge goals, became the third person to don the gloves for the hosts in this tie, and Hullbridge had to play the rest of the game a man light.

But with eight minutes remaining it was the hosts who increased their lead when Harry Watkins thumped a wonderful free kick beyond Corderoy from twenty yards and the hosts celebrated as if they had sealed it.

However moments later Enfield pulled one to make things interesting once again when a mad scramble inside the box eventually saw Luke Thomas bury the loose ball from close range, it had been some second half.

Enfield piled on the pressure late on and with six minutes of stoppage time to come it was certainly not over, but the hosts managed to keep the visitors at bay and hold on to progress into the Last 32 of the FA Vase. Phew what a tie!

Full Time Hullbridge Sports 3 Enfield 1893 2

Here are some photos of the day:-

So it’s Hullbridge Sports who progress into the Last 32 of the Vase, and they will travel to take on Spartan South Midlands Premier side Tring Athletic in Hertfordshire.  The Herts side knocked out Berkhamsted in the last round, with Berkhamsted being the only unbeaten side in league football across the fourteen step five divisions in the UK, so this will be a tough assignment for the Essex Senior League side.  However I believe it’s an assignment they can pass so should be a decent cup tie.

Right here are the Third Round results in full:-

Saturday 2^nd December

1874 Northwich 2 Ashton Athletic 0

Stockton Town 1 City of Liverpool 0

West Auckland Town 4 Whitley Bay 3

Pontefract Collieries 3 Worksop Town 0

Newcastle Benfield 3 North Shields 1

Runcorn Linnets 2 Marske United 3

Stourport Swifts 3 Walsall Wood 1

Bromsgrove Sporting 1 Coventry United 1 (aet)

Wolverhampton SC 5 Shepshed Dynamo 0

Desborough Town 4 Eastwood Community 1

Highgate United 1 Coleshill Town 2

Hinckley 3 Deeping Rangers 1

Racing Club Warwick 0 Wisbech Town 2

Gorleston 2 Leighton Town 4

Hullbridge Sports 3 Enfield 1893 2

Yaxley 2 Norwich CBS 3

Great Wakering Rovers 0 Cogenhoe United 2

Tring Athletic 1 Berkhamsted 0

Welwyn Garden City 1 Biggleswade 2

Lordswood 0 Bracknell Town 1

Beckenham Town 2 Eastbourne Town 3

Horley Town 4 Baffins Milton Rovers 1

Walton & Hersham 1 Windsor 2

Crowborough Athletic 1 Westfield 0

Whitstable Town 0 Chichester City 2

Thatcham Town 3 Sevenoaks Town 1

Christchurch 0 Newport IOW 1

Sholing 0 Blackfield & Langley 1

Plymouth Parkway 2 Westfields 3

Hamble Club 2 Horndean 1

Bridgwater Town 2 Melksham Town 2 (aet)

Bradford Town 4 Team Solent 0

Replays

Monday 4^th December

Melksham Town 2 Bridgwater Town 0

Wednesday 6^th December

Coventry United 3 Bromsgrove Sporting 3 (aet; Bromsgrove Sporting won 4-3 on penalties)

So we are now down to the Last 32 and here are those fixtures in full:-

Saturday 6^th January

Newcastle Benfield vs Coleshill Town

Wisbech Town vs Bromsgrove Sporting

Cogenhoe Town vs Wolverhampton SC

Marske United vs Hinckley

Stockton Town vs West Auckland Town

Desborough Town vs Stourport Swifts

Melksham Town vs Crowborough Athletic

Westfields vs Hamble Club

Blackfield & Langley vs Bracknell Town

Leighton Town vs Norwich CBS

Newport IOW vs Bradford Town

Eastbourne Town vs Windsor

Horley Town vs Chichester City

Tring Athletic vs Hullbridge Sports

Thatcham Town vs Biggleswade

Sunday 7^th January

1874 Northwich vs Pontefract Collieries

So that concludes the Third Round Proper of the FA Vase, I’ll be at Tring Athletic vs Hullbridge Sports for my Last 32 tie, will be back with my blog on this and the Fourth Round Proper results and Last 16 ties in a couple of weeks or so.

Season 2017-18 - Second Round Proper

Saturday 11th November
Tower Hamlets 1 Enfield 1893 2
Joe Clark struck with just over twenty minutes to go to send Enfield through to the Last 64 of the FA Vase in a game that ended with five red cards.

With this being Rememberence Day the afternoon begun with a minutes silence being wonderfully observered by everyone involved in remembrance of the people who admirably gave up their lives for the freedoms we have today before the teams got down to action in this all Essex Senior League tie.

And in the 15th minute the hosts took the lead through Curtis Pond and gave the hosts something to build on possibly however just a minute or so later the visitors equalised when a Staunton ball in behind found Andy Tirivanhu who escaped the offside trap and fired in for the equaliser, and we were back to square one.

And midway through the half the visitors had a golden chance to take the lead when the hosts were ajudged to have committed a foul inside the box, meaning a penalty to Enfield. However keeper Pellin managed to guess the right way and save Bricknell’s low penalty.

Just before the half hour Hamlets should have gone in front as a long throw was flicked on but went agonisingly wide and then six minutes before the break Hamlets broke from a corner but Caxton was there with a superb sliding tackle to deny the shot and prevent the hosts from possibly regaining the lead.

And four minutes before half time Enfield keeper Corderoy made a routine save to deny Hamlets the lead as the hosts had dominated the final few minutes of the half.  But the teams did go in all square at the break and it was all to play for in the second period.

Half Time Tower Hamlets 1 Enfield 1893 1

The visitors came close to taking the lead eleven minutes into the second period when Luke Thomas tried to stretch as far as he could to convert, however he just couldn’t stretch far enough to force the ball in, but in the 72nd minute Enfield did go in front when Bradbury whipped in a corner, causing a melee inside the box, and saw a Tirivanhu shot blocked on the line before Clark smashed home the loose ball.

Hamlets tried to respond in the 74th minute when after Corderoy punched at a cross, the ball fell to the hosts, but Clark was there to block it out for corner and maintain his sides lead.

Things then became harder for the hosts in the 76th minute when they were reduced to ten men after Tola Odedoyin was given his second yellow card after bringing down Sykes as the forward managed to escape him, and then three minutes later Hamlets saw red again when striker Luke With was sent off for a second bookable offence.

However that wasn't the end of the drama and the game descended into a farce deep into stoppage time when a melee by the corner flag led to two more red cards for Tower Hamlets, one for a headbutt from substitute Antonio Montiero, and also one for keeper Pellin for kicking Enfield forward Sykes, who then retalliatied and was also shown a red card as the game ended on a sour note.

The bottom line after all of that though was the fact that Enfield made it through to the Last 64 of the Vase and set up another all ESL showdown against Hullbridge Sports at Lower Road in South Essex.  Promises to be another tough and tight encounter although hopefully no red cards this time.

Full Time Tower Hamlets 1 Enfield 1893 2

Here are some photos courtesy of http://AZsportsimages.smugmug.com

Right after all that excitement here are the Second Round Proper results in full:-
Friday 10th November
Yaxley 3 Peterborough Northern Star 0
Walton & Hersham 2 Hanworth Villa 1

Saturday 11th November
Stockton Town 4 Bootle 2 (AET)
North Shields 2 Knaresborough Town 1
Dunston UTS 0 Worksop Town 1
Marske United 2 Shildon 1 (AET)
Sunderland Ryhope CW 1 City of Liverpool 2
Hall Road Rangers 2 Pontefract Collieries 4
West Auckland Town 3 Billingham Town 2
Runcorn Linnets 1 Sunderland RCA 1 (AET)
Ashton Athletic 1 Morpeth Town 0
Bedlington Terriers 0 Newcastle Benfield 3
Thornaby 2 Whitley Bay 4 (AET)
Wolverhampton SC 2 Rugby Town 2 (AET)
Hinckley AFC 2 AFC Mansfield 0
Coleshill Town 8 Blaby & Whetstone Athletic 1
Godmanchester Rovers 3 Deeping Rangers 4
Brocton 3 Shepshed Dynamo 5
Desborough Town 7 Pinxton 4 (AET)
Quorn 0 Coventry United 6
Racing Club Warwick 2 Alsager Town 1
Leicester Nirvana 0 Eastwood Community 2
Walsall Wood 5 Holbeach United 0
Worcester City 1 Highgate United 2
Kimberley MW 0 Stourport Swifts 2
Sporting Khalsa 0 Bromsgrove Sporting 1
Tring Athletic 4 Ely City 1
Welwyn Garden City 2 Newport Pagnell Town 1
Thetford Town 1 Wisbech Town 4
Biggleswade 2 Crawley Green 0
Leighton Town 1 London Lions 0
Hullbridge Sports 3 Wembley 2
Sun Sports W - O Cogenhoe United (walkover for Cogenhoe United - Sun Sports removed)
Tower Hamlets 1 Enfield 1893 2
Enfield Borough 2 Berkhamsted 4 (AET)
Gorleston 2 Framlingham Town 1
Wisbech St Mary 1 Norwich CBS 4
Great Wakering Rovers 2 FC Romania 2 (AET)
Whitstable Town 3 Epsom & Ewell 2 (AET)
Meridian 0 Horley Town 3
Sheppey United 2 Beckenham Town 3
Westfield 1 Canterbury City 0
Thatcham Town 8 Broadbridge Heath 2
Crowborough Athletic 5 Croydon 0
Bracknell Town 8 Cricklewood Wanderers 0
Corinthian 3 Eastbourne Town 4
Christchurch 3 Fareham Town 2
Exmouth Town 1 Blackfield & Langley 3
Sholing 2 Wellington AFC 1
Wantage Town 1 Melksham Town 4
Newport (IW) 6 Hengrove Athletic 2
Baffins Milton Rovers 3 Cullompton Rangers 1
Buckland Athletic 1 Bradford Town 2
Hamble Club 5 Brockenhurst 4 (AET)
Willand Rovers 1 Westfields 2
Farnham Town 2 Bridgwater Town 3
Plymouth Parkway 4 Bodmin Town 2

Sunday 12th November
Erith Town 1 Windsor 2
Southall 1 Lordswood 2

Tuesday 14th November
1874 Northwich 5 Tow Law Town 1
Haywards Heath Town 1 Sevenoaks Town 2
Chichester City 3 Deal Town 0
Team Solent 2 Tavistock AFC 0
Horndean 3 Royal Wootton Bassett Town 2

Replays
Sunderland RCA 1 Runcorn Linnets 2
Rugby Town 0 Wolverhampton SC 2

Wednesday 15th November
Replay
FC Romania 0 Great Wakering Rovers 1

So that concluded the Second Round.  This weekend sees teams battling for a Last 32 place in the competition and potentially four wins away from the final at Wembley.

Here is the Third Round fixtures taking place this weekend:-
Saturday 2nd December
1874 Northwich_ VS Ashton Athletic
Stockton Town VS City of Liverpool
West Auckland Town VS Whitley Bay
Pontefract Collieries VS Worksop Town
Newcastle Benfield VS North Shields
Runcorn Linnets VS Marske United
Stourport Swifts VS Walsall Wood
Bromsgrove Sporting VS Coventry United
Wolverhampton SC VS Shepshed Dynamo
Desborough Town VS Eastwood Community
Highgate United VS Coleshill Town
Hinckley AFC VS Deeping Rangers
Racing Club Warwick VS Wisbech Town
Gorleston VS Leighton Town
Hullbridge Sports VS Enfield 1893
Yaxley VS Norwich CBS
Great Wakering Rovers VS Cogenhoe United
Tring Athletic VS Berkhamsted
Welwyn Garden City VS Biggleswade
Lordswood VS Bracknell Town
Beckenham Town VS Eastbourne Town
Horley Town VS Baffins Milton Rovers
Walton & Hersham VS Windsor
Crowborough Athletic VS Westfield
Whitstable Town VS Chichester City_
Thatcham Town VS Sevenoaks Town
Christchurch VS Newport (IW)
Sholing VS Blackfield & Langley
Plymouth Parkway VS Westfields
Hamble Club VS Horndean
Bridgwater Town VS Melksham Town
Bradford Town VS Team Solent

I'll be at the all ESL tie at Lower Road between Hullbridge Sports and Enfield 1893, both know each other well and it proves to be a cracking cup tie.