CHESHUNT 2 SOUTHEND MANOR 1
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 30th August 2008
Both sides missed chances to win the right to host Ryman Premier Division side Staines Town in the next round but it was Yohance Lewis who made up for missing a second half penalty to score the winner and book our place in the next round of the FA Cup.
After three successive league wins we went into this game with confidence growing but it was another sluggish start to the game. Neither side found much rhythm in the early stages and there was little in the way of goalmouth action until the 23rd minute when Ashley Taylor-Forbes’ corner was met unconventionally by Ricky Dobson’s knee. The defenders’ “shot” being palmed away by Adam Seal in the Southend goal and Mervin Abraham’s follow up was bundled past the post. Just after the half hour mark the game started to come to life and Cheshunt took the lead. Reece Prestedge and Mark Gradosielski played a little “after you, no after you” in the box before Prestedge finally took control, turned and hit a curling left foot shot into the top corner of the net past Seal.
Almost immediately Southend should have been level. With the Cheshunt side still congratulating themselves on going one up, the visitors moved the ball well to create a clear chance for John Wheatstone but with the goal at his mercy the midfielder drove his shot wide. Stung by this near miss Cheshunt upped the tempo and Abrahams’ hold up play created chances first for Lewis whose effort from distance grazed the bar and then for Prestedge whose powerful drive flew just wide of the right hand upright.
We took a narrow lead into the half time break and had shown enough quality to suggest better was to come but if there was any doubt about Southend Manor’s resolve to come back at us it was dispelled within a minute of the re-start. A quick free kick taken midway inside the Cheshunt half found the overlapping full back Simon Dawson who continued his run to fire a left footed shot past Harry Ricketts to level the scores. It was game on now and the visitors ran and battled for everything making it hard for us to settle on the ball and we struggled to regain control. It was looking like it would need a moment of brilliance from someone in an Amber shirt to break the deadlock and on 71 it came. Abraham again held the ball up well and this time turned neatly and played Lewis through and the midfielder pushed the ball past the advancing Seal who brought him down. Lewis placed the resulting penalty weakly to the keepers right though and the keeper saved well.
Cheshunt’s disappointment did not last long though as that miss galvanised Lewis into making amends and five minutes later he latched onto a flick from Daniel Bradford to force his way past a defender and blast a shot towards the corner that the keeper could only get a hand to and our lead was restored.
In a lively final ten minutes both sides had chances to add to the score. Wheatstone went close again for the visitors as he met a free kick inside the area but his volley went high from close range whilst at the other end Taylor-Forbes wriggled his way through a number of defenders before his shot was deflected onto the bar.
The final whistle blew a few moments later and Cheshunt would have been relieved to have overcome a spirited Southend Manor side and will again be thankful that missed chances didn’t cost us the game. In fairness, Manor could and probably should have scored more themselves but in the end we showed more quality in all areas and deserved the win.
Cheshunt: Ricketts, Schillaci, Parry, Toms (Keogh 52), Dobson, Gradosielski, Taylor-Forbes, Prestedge. Jackman (Bradford 73), Lewis, Abraham (c) (Forbes 82).
Not used: Whincup, Harrison, Butler.
Attendance: 192
