Ilford 1 Benfleet 1 (Ilford Win 4-3 Pens)
Buildbase FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
Saturday 10th October
Ilford had to hold their nerve at Cricklefield coming back from a first half Aaron Russell goal, before equalising and then having to win this Vase tie via a penalty shoot-out.
In truth it was a dire struggle at times although the opening stages did suggest that this was going to shape up to be an attacking contest between two sides that know how to score goals when the mood takes them. Yemi Adelani was in a mood to get things rolling early on; his powerful run appeared to be halted by a Benfleet defender tugging at his shirt. The referee thought otherwise, and whilst Ilford re-grouped, their visitors had created a chance themselves as Ben Foord had a shot parried around the post for a corner. A few moments later and the corner had cannoned off an Ilford player into the net, but luckily for the hosts the goal was disallowed for an offside spotted by his assistant.
Ilford created very little as the half wore on, Benfleet had hardly had much to shout about themselves, however in the 16th minute a superb dipping shot from the boot of Jamie Brown needed an equally outstanding piece of goalkeeping from Blackburn to keep out. And the Foxes stopper had to rush off his line and engage Mason Shave in a one-to-one, which he won but the ball spilled out to Foord he had a bite at the rebound which Blackburn tipped away.
Foord had looked Benfleet’s dangerman on the few occasions they had managed to get near the Ilford box. In the 24th minute Foord was held back by Bailey Hossack, which saw both players yellow carded as after the foul had been committed both players had a little face-off, which the referee stamped on straight away. More importantly Benfleet now had a free kick just outside the box and Brown’s delivery landed in the six-yard box where Russell was waiting to poke it home.
Ilford nearly afflicted a self-wound upon themselves when soon afterwards a wayward back pass was latched onto by Foord whose low drive was saved by Blackburn. Ilford were now unable to get any forward momentum and their passing started to let them down.
It took until the 38th minute before the hosts had anything resembling a goalscoring opportunity. A Dimitri Christou free kick seemed to have been cleared by Benfleet but the ball made its way back in and from it Steve Silvester-Ajudu had a shot blocked. The Foxes ended the final minute of the half on the attack as Dion Lewis-Kirwan sped down the right wing, delivering a cross that Adelani connected with at the back post, which somehow a Benfleet defender managed to keep out as it looked like Ilford had found an equaliser from their only real clear opportunity of the half.
Benfleet were to start the second period on the front foot, winning a couple of early corners, and from one of those they fired a shot inches wide.
However a lapse of concentration in the Benfleet defence meant that not only did they fail to deal with Silvester-Ajudu’s cross across their box, they also failed to notice that Adelani was totally unmarked at the back post and he had time and space to place a header past the keeper to equalise for the hosts.
Neither side were then able to create much, Benfleet perhaps managing to get the ball more into the Ilford box with their long throws and free kicks but it wasn’t until the 75th minute that anything clear cut was created, and it was Kirwan-Lewis for the host who created it, making his way into the box and drilling a shot that Florent Gislette parried. But Benfleet’s Russell almost produced something out of thin air when a ball in the air was chested down and brought under his control before unleashing a shot that nearly beat Blackburn at his left-hand post.
With the game petering out and looking destined for penalties, Adelani then had a chance to win it late for Ilford as he managed to get past the Benfleet defence, but he wasn’t able to control the ball and instead lashed it well wide of goal. It meant the game, which had become at times a bit of a stalemate, now had to be decided by penalties.
Russell the Benfleet Captain stepped up first and scored his penalty, but Adelani did likewise. Hartman then had his penalty saved by Blackburn, with the Ilford keeper also saving Foord’s effort. In between Ilford saw a penalty saved as Kirwan-Lewis hit his penalty too close to the Benfleet keeper. Lawrence scored Benfleet’s fourth penalty, but Sylvester-Ajudua made no mistake with his penalty. It meant it was now down to Dolieu to score Benfleet’s fifth penalty to keep them in it – which he did. But it was to be only until Ilford’s next penalty which was converted by Akanbi.
Ilford: Josh Blackburn, Steve Sylvester-Ajudua (Capt), David Brookman, Ope Mosuro, Bailey Hossack, Abdulai Sarr, Dion Kirwan-Lewis, Jerrold Cobblah (Alfie Walker 80′), Fred Agyemang (Larry Akanbi 65′), Dimitri Christou, Yemi Adelani.
Scorer – Yemi Adelani (52′).
Benfleet: Florent Gislette, Sam Dolieu, Aaron Russell (Capt), Cameron Harrison, Aaron Tatham, Henry Sims, Jamie Brown, Ben Foord, Taylor Lawrence, Mason Shave.
Scorer – Aaron Russell (24′).
