Saturday September 21st
ISUZU Fa Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
Brocton 1 Allscott Heath 4
Brocton welcomed Step 6 Allscott Heath to Silkmore Lane for the first meeting between the two clubs. Brocton were without Tom Vaughan, Connor Haddaway and Charlie King with Alex Curtis, Jake Thomas and Lucas Green-Birch coming into the starting line-up. There was a place on the bench for the returning Adam Weldon. Allscott Heath had started their season in the NWCFL with mixed results and sat in mid table.
Brocton made the perfect start to the game, taking the lead in the 3rd minute. Will Whieldon’s shot was parried by Bayden Ngo-Zulu and Christian Blanchette clipped the rebound into the net. Allscott Heath should have been level two minutes later. Armando Wood broke through the Brocton defence and with only Tony Allsopp to beat, the Brocton keeper made himself large and blocked the shot. Brocton quickly went done the other end and an attempted lob from Reg Smith was comfortably gathered by Ngo-Zulu. Allscott Heath were having most of the play and a header across his own box from Josh Simcox reached Wood, but he couldn’t hit the target. In the 11th minute, the visitors again went close when George Taylor powered a header over the bar. Allscott Heath deservedly levelled the scores in the 15th minute. A free kick from Will Rogers was headed back in by Taylor. Allsopp saved the header, but Thomas Horton was on hand to tap home the rebound. Things got worse for Brocton eight minutes later when Allscott Heath took the lead. A great ball through the Brocton back line was into the path of Rogers. He beat the advancing Allsopp and finished superbly. Brocton were almost level within a minute. A shot from Thomas was fumbled by Ngo-Zulu and Curtis just failed to get there in time to divert the ball home. Allscott Heath were not resting on their laurels and were inches away in the 26th minute, another towering header from Taylor cannoning off the crossbar. They were not to be denied, and they increased their lead two minutes later. Another through ball picked out the ever willing Horton and he slotted the ball past Allsopp. Rather than see a response from the home side, it was Allscott Heath who went close again when Rogers’ free kick was just over the bar. Blanchette and Smith combined as Blanchette forced Ngo-Zulu into a low save. On the stroke of half-time, Cameron Davies volleyed over for the dominant away side.
Half-Time: Brocton 1 Allscott Heath 3
The second half began in a torrential thunderstorm with driving rain, lightning and deafening claps of thunder echoing all around the ground. Could Brocton ride the storm and get back into the game? It certainly looked like it as Smith’s cross into the box was well cleared by the Allscott Heath defence. That sense of revitalisation was snubbed out in the 51st minute. The ball was played into the Brocton penalty area and not dealt with. Jack Sweeney was on hand to tap the loose ball into the net. Brocton began to make some inroads into the Allscott Heath defence. A free kick from Whieldon was just over the bar, and Smith was well off target with another effort. Allscott Heath were far from finished, and Rogers was inches wide with another effort on the hour mark. The impressive Rogers then beat Simcox down the right and his shot was saved by Allsopp. Wood then tried his luck, curling a shot just over the Brocton bar. A driving run from Blanchette ended with a shot which was well held by Ngo-Zulu. Whieldon went close in the 65th minute, when his side footed effort was saved by the legs of the young Allscott Heath keeper. Green-Birch then saw a shot deflected for a corner as Brocton strove for the goal that would get them back into the game. Smith saw his shot blocked and then shot wide after turning past his defender. Allsopp made a decent save to deny Horton his hat-trick. Odd chances fell to Brocton but in reality Allscott Heath remained comfortable. They thoroughly deserved their giant killing as Brocton were second best on the day.
Full-Time: Brocton 1 Allscott Heath 4 Attendance 138
Brocton: Tony Allsopp, Cooper Marsh (Charlie Marshall 58), Josh Simcox (Adam Weldon 78), Ben Haddaway, Kenny Devoir, Will Whieldon (Jude King 71), Alex Curtis (Toby Smith 71), Jake Thomas, Reg Smith, Lucas Green-Birch (Ben Hackett 81), Christian Blanchette
Allscott Heath: Bayden Ngo-Zulu, Ben Davies, Connor Courtney, Cameron Davies (Ethan Pickford 79), George Taylor, Jack Sweeney, Will Rogers (Owen Lloyd 84), Aaron Williams (Louis Irvine 67), Thomas Horton (Francy Mpasi 73), Armando Wood, Brandon Tanomjit. Sub (Not Used): Daniel Pilkington
Yellow Cards: Simcox, R. Smith (Brocton); Williams, Steve Rogers (Allscott Heath)
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