11 September 2021

FA Vase First Qualifying Round

 

Lingfield                                1          Connolly 4

Erith and Belvedere          2          McGeehan 6, Dasofunjo 69

 

HENRY HAMMERS HOME AS DERES GO THROUGH

 

After an early exchange of goals it was a free-kick midway through the second half that saw the Deres through to the Vase second qualifying round.

 

It was a glorious late summer’s day at the Pavilion and the last wicket to be used during the cricket season was still visible beyond the far touchline as the football club used the Godstone Road ground for the first time this season.  The football looked summery and relaxed for much of the time, but not in the opening exchanges.

 

Deres lined up with new signing Calum McGeehan as the middle man in a back three, but it was Rob Curtis on the right whose slip let Lingfield in as early as the fourth minute.  He was robbed by Jamie Allen, the ball went loose to Sammy Clements who fed Ben Connolly on the right, whose crisp shot beat debutant keeper Oliver Pain and found the far corner.

 

Deres came back swiftly two minutes later with the simplest of corners from the right, as McGeehan beat Jake Horn to a header and keeper Johnny Thurbin barely moved.

 

Curtis, having something of an off-day, was booked on 21 minutes but Conor Wilford’s subsequent free-kick was blocked.  A minute later Henry Dasofunjo sped onto a flick by Calum Willock but hit the side netting.  Dasofunjo’s duel with Stephen Hodge was a feature of the game, but the next good chance on the right fell to Keanan Allassani, whose 32nd-minute shot was well pushed away by Thurbin.

 

Deres started the second half sluggishly and Lingfield had three decent chances in the opening five minutes, Allen shooting just wide after making space for himself and Clements blasting over after another Allen shot had been half-stopped by Pain.

 

The decisive moment came 21 minutes from time when Dasofunjo lined up a free-kick and noticed Thurbin standing too far over to the right: his kick flew over the wall into the left-hand corner as the keeper couldn’t make his ground.  Lingfield were unable to come back from this blow, and Deres now travel to Loxwood for the next round on 25 September.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvGIPzwXjsw

 

LINGFIELD: Johnny Thurbin; Tyler Cox, Stephen Hodge, Jake Horn, Scott Johnston, David Heaton (Yashua Smith 84), James Allen (Callum Hayes 75), Jamie Bakhit, Ben Connolly, Sammy Clements, Conor Wilford (Zach Alfalahi 60).

DERES: Oliver Pain; Vinnie Medhurst, Marlon Patterson, Rob Curtis (Benga Ogunseye 63), Calum McGeehan, Reece Barrett, Henry Dasofunjo, Keanan Allassani (Danny Patterson 85), Calum Willock (Drew Allassani 75), Ollie Bate, Tyler Anderson-Parr.