FA Vase Match Report

ILFORD  5  LONG MELFORD  3

(FA Vase 1st Qual. Round, Sat 19 Sep)

Melford took the lead on 13 minutes a great cross field ball from Kieran Michaels picked out Jamie Griffiths who in turn found Callum Hemson and his effort went in via a defender (OWN GOAL).

Ilford forced a few corners and from one of these Melford failed to clear properly and LEWIS-KIRWAN headed home.

Jacob Brown had a good effort tipped behind just before the break as Melford continued to impress.

Early in the second half Melford gave the ball away in midfield and CHRISTOU raced away to score.

The lead was short lived as MICHAELS scored from a free kick on the edge of the box.

Fortunes continued to flow and Ilford went in front from a free kick, two Melford players appeared to be manhandled but the referee turned a blind eye and when LEWIS-KIRWAN stabbed the ball home it was allowed to stand.

Worse was to follow when Ilford struck the upright and Matt Walker gathered the ball and the linesman deemed the ball to have crossed the line, with HOSSOCK being credited with the goal.

With Melford totally shell shocked by three goals in quick succession, Michaels' hasty clearance struck Christou the ball fell to ADKRANI for a tap in.

KIERAN MICHAELS netted another superb free kick to make it 5-3 but Melford were left to reflect that sometimes you need a bit of the rub of the green and they certainly never had that today. RICHARD POWELL

LONG MELFORD: Matt Walker, Dan Smith, Will Wingfield, Archie Pether, Kieran Michaels, Sam Mills, Nathan Rowe, Jacob Brown, Ben Tait, Jamie Griffiths, Callum Hemson 

Subs all used: Jake Jackson, Steve Adams, Evan Collard