Great Yarmouth Town 1 Buckhurst Hill 5
Buildbase FA Vase 1st Round
Saturday 23rd October
Buckhurst Hill’s debut Vase campaign continues onwards after a dominating performance against Great Yarmouth Town who found themselves blown away and unable to deal with their visitors unrelenting pace throughout the encounter.
The Stags set their stall early, they were going to attack with pace and in numbers and that direct approach saw them race into an early 2-0 lead. In the 3rd minute Louis Wynter weaved into the Yarmouth defence before laying a ball into the path of Suleyman Zuhdu who slammed the ball home. A minute later Zuhdu was fed another ball in the Yarmouth box and he pulled the trigger and placed his shot beyond a despairing Fenn Nicholls. The game had plenty of time left on the clock but Buckhurst Hill had put themselves in the driving seat – and they were never really threatened as the game wore on.
Connor Delaney had a long range effort for the shell shocked hosts, which was saved by Daniel Blockley but it was to be a mere respite as Yarmouth’s defence was almost breached again when Sonny Shilling cut in from the left and flashed a shot across the goalmouth. Then Nicholls had to pull off a save to deny Zuhdu completing his hat-trick inside the opening 15 minutes.
Buckhurst Hill are comfortable on the ball all over the pitch. One move saw them play the ball around the defence before launching a quick counter as Banfield made a long pass to Shilling, who in turn played it across the box to a waiting Zuhdu, whose fierce shot thumped against the cross bar.
With no resting on their laurels meant that you almost expected the Stags to get another goal, and they did so in the 24th minute when Zuhdu powered into the box and unselfishly set up Shilling who poked the ball home at the back post. 3-0 now and the Bloaters were looking dead and buried.
And rightly so as Buckhurst Hill continued their relentless power play and nearly made it 4-0 when a deep cross from Liam Foster which Zuhdu made a connection with, but so did a Yarmouth defender to knock it behind for a corner. From it came another chance as the ball fell to Zuhdu who turned and let fly, with his shot cannoning off the cross bar.
Max Nicholson fired a shot just over on 40 minutes, with the half coming to an end; a half in which Yarmouth had not been able to keep Buckhurst Hill at bay, and all they had managed to muster were a few crosses here and there. However they were able to score just before the break, in which in all fairness has to put down to a defensive error, as a wayward back pass was picked up by Brady Philpott who then slotted the ball home. It was the only sniff Great Yarmouth had throughout the whole half but they had now got something to perhaps build on.
If Great Yarmouth felt that they had a life line they were to be very much mistaken as Shilling had an early shot in the second half tipped away by Nicholls. Then on 52 minutes Harris played in Shilling, who placed his shot past Nicholls to once again extend Buckhurst Hill’s lead.
The hosts did muster a shot on 60 minutes as Ray Urry fired a dipping shot just over Blockley’s cross bar. But a minute later Sollosi charged in, picked out Moore who then set up Shilling to side foot the ball home from close range to effectively end the contest as the hosts were looking ragged.
Some delightful football ended with Sollosi poking home but the sixth goal was chalked off for an offside. That seemed to annoy the Stags as they went all out trying to get another goal; Zuhdu had a powerful header tipped away by Nicholls, and as the wonderful pass and move football that Buckhurst Hill play continued to flow it did look like another goal was coming. Griggs drilled a shot just over, then Nicholson went close with two chances in quick succession as by now the hosts were tiring and in fact weren’t able to create anything themselves until the 79th minute when Kyle Baker skewed a shot horribly wide.
Zuhdu was unable to complete his hat-trick, the keeper and the cross bar doing their best to prevent that, but he did pull off a sublime bit of skill in the closing stages which nearly broght another goal. A cheeky back-heel wrong-footed the Yarmouth defence allowing Shilling to have the final shot of the game, which went inches wide.
It had been quite simply a captivating performance, from a side that play a brand of football which belies their step six status. We are talking one touch pass and move football, played at a high pace, at times it seems almost intuitive, very few balls are wasted and they play a high pressure game for the whole ninety minutes. It is a joy to watch and they go into Monday’s 2nd Round Vase draw full of confidence.
Great Yarmouth Town: Fenn Nicholls, Ray Urry, Declan McAvoy (George Edwards 68′), Kyle Howell, John Blake, Cameron Barnes, Connor Delaney (Gabby Mendoza 81′), Charlie Blake, Kyle Baker (Capt), Wesley Belsten (Charlie McCara 68′), Brady Philpott.
Scorer – Brady Philpott (45′).
Buckhurst Hill: Daniel Blockley, Liam Foster, Keaton Moore, Alfie Harris, Henry Day, Sam Sollosi (Max Nicholson 30′), Josh Banfield (Jack Griggs 68′), Suleyman Zuhdu, Nathan Sollosi, Sonny Shilling, Louis Wynter (Jake Moss 59′).
Scorers – Suleyman Zuhdu (3′, 4′), Nathan Sollosi (52′), Sonny Shilling (24′, 61′).