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Somersett Ambury V & E were the visitors for today's
FA Cup 2nd Qualifying fixture and in spite of the vast difference in
the status of the two clubs, the visitors came hoping to make a game of it and
perhaps to take a win back home to the midlands with them. After
an early morning torrential downpour the game was finally given the go-ahead at
1:55 and with a playing surface extremely heavy and wet, nobody expected to be a
fast flowing game. For Canvey, Micky Bennett was recalled to the side as
replacement for Mick Bodley and Mark Stimson's No. 8 shirt was given to Paul
Cobb. Five subs could be named and
Canvey chose four; Boylan, Tanner Vaughan & a senior call-up for youth team 'keeper Glen Johnson. Canvey took the kick off shooting towards the sea wall
and were ready to score from the off with chances coming from Tilson, Gregory
and Cobb. Cobb was unlucky during
this first half, he could have had a hat trick in the first 40 minutes, but I
don't think the slippery surface suited his style of play as all his chances
went begging. An Adam Miller corner led to the first goal, his low hard
drive went across the face of goal where Mickey Bennett made contact with the ball,
it took a deflection from SAVE's No. 3 and went bobbling over the goal line. It was a well deserved goal from excellent build up, but
Canvey should really have already been three up. One lone Ambury supporter was heard to tell his team to keep
the ball on the deck, which might have worked for them if only they could break
away quicker after clearing their own goal area. Goal number two was scored by Canvey marksman, Neil
Gregory, ten minutes before half time. A
good run down the left by Chris Duffy was deflected out for a corner. It
was an inch perfect cross which Greggors connected with wonderfully, and he sent
the ball thundering into the back of the net to make it 2 - 0 to
Canvey, but realistically, it should've been six at least. For the second half Adam Tanner replaced Steve Tilson as
Canvey came out eager to gain more goals. It
wasn't long before Gregory got his second, yet again from a corner.
He looked to have flicked the ball back ready for another player but it
managed to land in the back of the net. Gregory
looked set to get his hat-trick but it was not to be as he was replaced by an
‘on fire’ Lee Boylan. Canvey
reverted to a 3-4-3 formation and Boylan's first real touch of the ball sent it
into the back of the net several minutes later for Canvey's fourth. In spite of the thrashing all credit must go to the
Spartan leaguers as V&E never gave up.
They battled hard to keep Canvey at bay, without resorting to a nine man
defence, they stuck to their positions well and made slight dents in the tight
Canvey defence. Several creative
runs down the middle were only let down by a mixture of the weather conditions
and the pressure forced upon them by Canvey’s elite defence.
Even when the rearguard was breached, most V&E shots were well
off-target. Eventually Ambury
decided to bring in the heavy artillery with their number 14 coming on. He was massive and looked more like an All Black star. With
this giant in midfield and a massive centre back, anything going through the air
would have crash landed straight back to earth. As it happened, Canvey decided to keep the ball on the
floor too and as a result, Paul Cobb managed to get himself on the scoresheet
with Canvey's fifth. Having been
put through well, Cobby let rip a shot that was actually heading straight for
the 'keeper, but it once again took a deflection - off the No. 4's rather large
buttock - and in the opposite corner of the net. The
Yellow Army was in full cheer as each fan began to give their predictions of the
final outcome. Boylan got his second of the game shortly after and the
result could quickly have gone into double figures. Then came the moment of the
day. A break away by V&E led to a good shot that looked off target and going
wide. Ashley Harrison had been
beaten but Wardy was on hand to score his first goal in his five year spell at
Park Lane...but alas it was at the wrong end and in the back of the wrong net.
Even still the Canvey fans gave Somersett a round of applause for their
efforts and Wardy a bit of well humoured stick. Wayne Vaughan replaced a limping Steve Parmenter, while
Cobby got Canvey's seventh, his two goals easily made up for the four chances he
fluffed in the second half. Vaughan
himself got a goal when he was in the right place at the right time to poke home
a rebound parried away to his feet by an off-balance Ambury goalkeeper, 8 - 1. Finally super-sub Boylan got his hat-trick when a half cleared chance got stuck in some surface water and it was a race between Adam Miller and himself to slot home -Lee seized the opportunity and made it 9 - 1 to Canvey. Miller knew that was Boylan's third and he just looked at the crowd who knew he wanted a share of the spoils. Canvey could easily have got in the 'teens with chances by Cobb in the first half and Vaughan in the second going everywhere but where they count. Still 9 - 1 settled it, Somersett received a round of applause for their ‘never say die attitude’ and Canvey will find out Monday who they will face in the third qualifying round. Match
Report by Matt Team: Ashley Harrison, John Kennedy, Chris Duffy, Ben Chenery, Micky Bennett, Steve Ward, Steve Tilson, Paul Cobb, Neil Gregory, Adam Miller, Steve Parmenter. Subs. used: Lee Boylan, Adam Tanner, Wayne Vaughan. Not used: Glen Johnson Weather Conditions: Very wet and slippery underfoot. What did you think of
today's match?
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