Winchester City 5 Andover 1
Winchester City eased into the semi finals of the F A Challenge Vase, brushing aside fellow Wessex League side Andover, scoring two goals in the opening quarter of an hour. Visitors Andover can have no complaints, the early goals never having allowed the visitors to settle.
With a record crowd of 933 at the Denplan City Ground the game never reached a high spectacle level, with a swirling wind making control difficult for both sides. With the wind at their backs for the opening half City opened the scoring with the first real chance of the match after eleven minutes. Former Andover striker Andy Forbes crossed from the right flank for skipper Danny Smith to arrive at the near post and half volley home the ball past Andover goalkeeper Colin Hopkins.
Three minutes later another cross from the right this time by Shaun Dyke saw Matthew Bicknell and Forbes, all three former Andover players, set up Ian Mancey who with an acrobatic overhead kick scored a second goal for City that really stunned Andover. Andover produced a brief flurry in response, Justin Bennett firing wide from distance but it was City who almost added to their score with Forbes having a header cleared off the line by Callum Earl.
City did add to their tally on the half-hour mark. A long ball from the City defence by Kieron Hall saw Shaun Dyke on a mazy run into the box only to be pulled back by Andover defender Earl and referee Mr P Miller awarded a penalty. City marksman Forbes stepped up to send the ball into the net from the spot kick.
Andover keeper Hopkins denied Mancey before City were forced to defend further Vinny Rusher being twice denied a goalscoring opportunity. An ungameley clearance by Andovers Phil Andrews flew over his own bar to save him the embarrassment of netting an own goal as the interval arrived with City three goals ahead.
Andover started the second half in determined fashion. Rusher was unfortunate to see an effort go just wide and City keeper Simon Arthur saved well from Gavin Richards but City broke free of their defensive duties to add a fourth goal on fifty two minutes. Forbes chasing a ball just inside the Andover half of the pitch, outpaced the visitors defence and slipped the ball neatly past Hopkins for his sixty-fourth goal of the season and ensure City’s victory.
Forbes limped away from the action on the hour and fellow City striker Ian Mancey was also replaced eleven minutes later. It was still City though that found the back of the net again. With ten minutes remaining another former Andover player in Lloyd Webber collected the ball on the edge of the box edged into the area before firing low past keeper Hopkins for City’s fifth goal.
Andover’s misery was not complete. In the final minute of the match skipper Glen Damen was dismissed for pulling back City striker Steve Tate just outside the box, although Andover did net a goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Justin Bennett the sides top scorer taking full advantage of some slack City defending, firing home his thirty second goal of the campaign.
City : Arthur, Dyke, Bicknell, Redwood, Hall, Blake, Webber, G Green, Mancey (Tate 71), Forbes (Rogers 60), Smith Unused subs Lang, Brewster, Rastall
Winchester City eased into the semi finals of the F A Challenge Vase, brushing aside fellow Wessex League side Andover, scoring two goals in the opening quarter of an hour. Visitors Andover can have no complaints, the early goals never having allowed the visitors to settle.
With a record crowd of 933 at the Denplan City Ground the game never reached a high spectacle level, with a swirling wind making control difficult for both sides. With the wind at their backs for the opening half City opened the scoring with the first real chance of the match after eleven minutes. Former Andover striker Andy Forbes crossed from the right flank for skipper Danny Smith to arrive at the near post and half volley home the ball past Andover goalkeeper Colin Hopkins.
Three minutes later another cross from the right this time by Shaun Dyke saw Matthew Bicknell and Forbes, all three former Andover players, set up Ian Mancey who with an acrobatic overhead kick scored a second goal for City that really stunned Andover. Andover produced a brief flurry in response, Justin Bennett firing wide from distance but it was City who almost added to their score with Forbes having a header cleared off the line by Callum Earl.
City did add to their tally on the half-hour mark. A long ball from the City defence by Kieron Hall saw Shaun Dyke on a mazy run into the box only to be pulled back by Andover defender Earl and referee Mr P Miller awarded a penalty. City marksman Forbes stepped up to send the ball into the net from the spot kick.
Andover keeper Hopkins denied Mancey before City were forced to defend further Vinny Rusher being twice denied a goalscoring opportunity. An ungameley clearance by Andovers Phil Andrews flew over his own bar to save him the embarrassment of netting an own goal as the interval arrived with City three goals ahead.
Andover started the second half in determined fashion. Rusher was unfortunate to see an effort go just wide and City keeper Simon Arthur saved well from Gavin Richards but City broke free of their defensive duties to add a fourth goal on fifty two minutes. Forbes chasing a ball just inside the Andover half of the pitch, outpaced the visitors defence and slipped the ball neatly past Hopkins for his sixty-fourth goal of the season and ensure City’s victory.
Forbes limped away from the action on the hour and fellow City striker Ian Mancey was also replaced eleven minutes later. It was still City though that found the back of the net again. With ten minutes remaining another former Andover player in Lloyd Webber collected the ball on the edge of the box edged into the area before firing low past keeper Hopkins for City’s fifth goal.
Andover’s misery was not complete. In the final minute of the match skipper Glen Damen was dismissed for pulling back City striker Steve Tate just outside the box, although Andover did net a goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Justin Bennett the sides top scorer taking full advantage of some slack City defending, firing home his thirty second goal of the campaign.
City : Arthur, Dyke, Bicknell, Redwood, Hall, Blake, Webber, G Green, Mancey (Tate 71), Forbes (Rogers 60), Smith Unused subs Lang, Brewster, Rastall
Document last updated: 07/06/2007
