|
at Ridgeons Premier League side
Woodbridge and will now travel to Mildenhall in
the next round. Indeed, on chances created
Saints could have recorded a much higher tally.
(Thanks to
www.stneotsfc.com for this report as I was
unable to attend the game)
Young Jordan Gent was included in the squad for
a competitive match for the first time and he
hardly had time to take his seat on the bench
before the Saints had, realistically, put the
tie beyond doubt within six minutes of the
start. Woodbridge began trying to play some neat
passing football from the back but the visitors
struck after four minutes when Liam Harrold
flicked on a long clearance and Parys Okai
tucked a neat right footed shot past the keeper
from just inside the area. Two minutes later,
Saints doubled their lead as Mickey Hyem freed
Lee Bassett who finished comfortably.
Woodbridge, to their credit, maintained their
passing game but carried little threat in
attack. Their defence also looked shaky with
Liam Harrold having four opportunities over the
next quarter of an hour but he could not score a
third goal for the Saints, with the home keeper
making one particularly fine save from a
downward header from an Okai free kick. Ben
Goddard looked to have an opportunity to pull a
goal back but was denied by a fine tackle from
Saints skipper Glen Fuff. Luke McShane made a
comfortable save after 27 minutes and Seb
Brimstead shot over for Woodbridge five minutes
later. Saints replied with a Kenneford shot
after a quick free kick by Hyem and then scored
a third a minute into first half injury time. An
excellent clearance from McShane found Bassett
who calmly lobbed the keeper for his second goal
of the afternoon.
Harrold almost scored a fourth just after half
time after a fine break by Okai but, after a
triple substitution by Steve Lomas to give some
players a break, it was Woodbridge who took the
game to the Saints. Fuff had to make another
excellent tackle and McShane made two fine saves
before Woodbridge pulled a goal back after 62
minutes through substitute Jordan Seaman. The
home side continued to attack but a tactical
change saw Saints settle into a more comfortable
formation and a fine move by Ian Edge and Shane
Fox saw Bassett almost completing his hat trick.
A free kick just outside the box after a foul by
Nick Hurst was then comfortably blocked by the
Saints defensive wall. The game became stretched
as players tired in the heat and Saints passing
began to create more goal scoring opportunities
with Edge and Hyem prompting a number of moves.
Edge, in particular, was unlucky not to score
after a fine run and substitute Luigi Rocco
caused problems down the right. Two minutes into
injury time Saints wrapped the game up with the
fourth goal. Edge set Shane Fox free in the
penalty area and he coolly rounded the keeper
before scoring. The celebrations from the Barmy
Army rounded off the match in style. |