The draws for the later stages of the FA Vase are always of interest, especially the balance of time and cost in visiting a new ground when deciding where to go. Having visited Poole earlier in the competition the nearest option was discounted and I started to look around the London area. I decided to head to Essex to watch Stansted from the Essex Senior League take on Dunston UTS of the Northern League. Paul had debated a trip to Devon to watch Torpoint Athletic's tie against another Northern League team, Billingham Symphonia but the transport connections weren't the best so we agreed to meet at Liverpool Street.
After taking the train through London and into the Essex countryside, we disembarked from the Stansted Express train at the wonderfully named Stansted Montfitchett station and wandered up the main street so Paul could investigate the beer options. We also counted a number of takeaway options including a chip shop close to the station that we visited after the game and would recommend for the delicious chips. We found a pub and sat down for a chat. Some of the locals were discussing the game so 'Cup Fever' could be said to be in town. The home team have an excellent unbeaten league record this season while Dunston are in the top half of the Northern League, traditionally a strong league for Vase games.
We arrived at the ground around 2.15 and picked up a special edition programme. There was no sign of Paul Gasgoigne, Dunston's most famous old boy but plenty of Geordies had made the trip down to support their team. I wandered around the ground to take some pictures and didn't hear one local accent. The game was a popular choice and the ground filled up nicely as kick off approached. Both teams normally play in blue so Dunston were wearing their yellow change kit.
Stansted were quick to put some pressure on the visitors, winning a corner in the first five minutes, leading a shot being pushed up and over by the Dunston keeper for another corner. Dunston fought back, a low shot well saved by the Stansted keeper after six minutes. He then launched a quick attack that finished with the Dunston keeper making another good save. The game flowed from end to end and by the 12th minute Stansted had won 5 corners without reply.
The pace of the game slowed after that and while it continued to be end to end, there were few goal attempts. I was enjoying watching the Dunston 9, an old fashioned centre forward, battling with Stansted's central defenders to win the ball and bring his team mates into play. In the 27th minute one of the Stansted central pairing limped off after overstretching for a ball.
The change led to the first goal on the half hour. A long ball was played up towards the edge of the Stansted area before bouncing up high. The keeper came racing out of his area as the ball didn't drop back where he could catch it while the covering defender slowed his run and waited for the ball to drop down. This allowed a Dunston player to run up behind the defender and shove him in the back. This lead to the defender heading the ball back into the area and it looked like the goalkeeper would gather the ball. However he collided with the off balance defender and when the ball was split, it was cleared towards the far touchline. A Dunston player ran onto the ball and with the keeper out of position he took careful aim and curved a shot over the covering defender and in.
Tempers were running a little high now and there was some pushing and shoving between the teams when the referee didn't allow an advantage to be played. A Stansted player was booked for his part in the matter. Stansted certainly appeared to lose their way and their earlier bright play was replaced with aimless longballs that the Dunston defence dealt with ease.
In the 40th minute we were treated to some great wing play as Dunston broke down the left side. The player took the ball into the area, dummied to beat the defender and take it round him before accelerating towards goal. He took a couple of strides before hitting a shot across the line. It was on target to go in at the far post but the goalkeeper managed to get a touch on the ball to deflect it wide. Another Dunston player ran in and slid towards the ball but couldn't direct it back on target and hit it into the side netting.
Dunston were playing with confidence and had a couple of chances to add to their lead before the end of the half. The first came from a deep ball into the area that was flicked up and over the bar. The second was a similar chance with a similar outcome as the player couldn't keep his header down.
Paul wasn't happy with the referee's performance and I shared his concern that the official wasn't allowing the game to flow and wasn't waiting to see if an advantage could be played. Both of us agreed that Stansted needed an early goal to get back into the game as their play before conceding the goal had been tidy and controlled.
Dunston had other ideas and it was their players who created the early chances in the second half. The first came after 49 minutes from a freekick from the near touchline was hit into the Stansted area with pace. The ball ended up flying into the keeper's arms when the slightest of touches would have beaten him. In the 54th minute a Dunston shot was cleared away from the target by a Stansted defender and ended up out for a corner.
In the 57th minute a route one ball was blasted out of the Dunston defence with a defender and attacker chasing the ball down. The defender reached the ball first and tried to play a backpass but it was severely underhit, allowing the attacker to race past him and onto the ball. Both players tussled to try and win control and it was the Dunston player who got to the ball first and hit a shot high towards the top corner. The Stansted keeper did well to get a hand to the ball to push it up but it had enough pace to continue heading towards the goal. It bounced down and then over the line before the defender could reach it to give the visitors a 2.0 lead.
Stansted didn't give up and won a couple of freekicks in good positions but continued to waste their opportunities as balls were overhit or knocked over the bar without troubling the visiting keeper. Dunston continued to create chances, keeping the Stansted keeper alert and he made a good save from an angled shot to concede a corner on the hour. In the 65th minute Dunston won another corner. The ball was delivered into the area only for a Dunston player to head it wide of the far post. That was the last action for the defender who had come on as a sub only to see his lack of aerial confidence lead to two goals as he was substituted.
The visiting supporters had been in good voice throughout the match and we were treated to a traditional round of the 'Blaydon Races'. Stansted were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 70th minute when a good run down the left was brought to an end by a clumsy tackle. The player's momentum took him well into the area as he fell but the referee decided that the challenge had been just outside the area. Sadly for the home team they wasted the opportunity with a tame shot over the bar. We had seen a lot of England rugby supporters on their way to Twickenham earlier in the day and Paul speculated that if the same scoring system was used for kicks over bar, Stansted would have a narrow lead at this point. We wandered round the pitch to watch the last period of play from behind the goal but the game fizzled out and Dunston held on for a deserved win.
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