Buckhurst Hill 2 Wroxham 3

Buildbase FA Vase 3^rd Round

Saturday 11^th December

Buckhurst Hill bowed out to Wroxham in the 3rd Round of the FA Vase; leading 2-0 lead at half time courtesy of a Nathan Sollosi brace, the visitors then re-grouped and scored three times in the second half via Conley Poynter Ryan Curtis and a last minute free kick from Ryan Miles to turn the game around.

Wroxham would have been well aware of the threat Buckhurst Hill posed as they had beaten Thurlow Nunn Premier Division leaders Gorleston last time out and the visitors, currently 2^nd in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division, soon realised how potent a threat the Stags can be because it took the hosts only three minutes to break the deadlock. A fine one-touch passing move ended with Sam Sollosi playing the final pass to his brother Nathan, who rifled his shot past Ollie Sutton. It was that simple!

After taking an early lead, the Stags then tried to settle things down by keeping possession because their visitors were also a threat going forward and Daniel Blockley was called upon in the 6^th minute to get down low to tip away a Ryan Miles shot. Nathan Sollosi then had a shot blocked, with Simon Lappin then going on a surging run towards the Buckhurst Hill box until Ted Buchanan put in a solid challenge to end it.

The Stags remained in control as the half wore on, pressing for a second goal, with Nathan Sollosi chipping a shot just over, but he did better with his next effort, lobbing the keeper and this time the ball dropped under the crossbar and Buckhurst Hill were now 2-0 up and their visitors were looking shell shocked.

The Stags did not let off though, soon after doubling their lead they launched an offensive which required Jordan King to put in a challenge to get the ball clear of Tyler Dolan, who would have been through on goal had the Wroxham defender not retrieved the ball from him. A Liam Foster run down the right wing saw him pick out Sam Sollosi who had a low shot parried by Sutton, and the visiting keeper also had to keep out a Dolan shot as the hosts continued pressing forward. Any Wroxham balls into the box were dealt with by the defence, but the visitors did create a very good chance when Lappin had a shot-on-the-turn which forced Blockley to dive low to his left to tip away.

But the half had belonged to Buckhurst Hill and they spent the final five minutes of it practically camped in the Yachtsmen’s box. First Dolan worked his way in and had a low shot well saved by Sutton, then the same two players were involved in a one-on-one, with a ball over the top being charged down by the Wroxham keeper. There were appeals for handball when a Buckhurst Hill cross appeared to hit the hand of a visiting defender, but the ref thought otherwise, then Sam Sollosi had a grasscutter brush past Sutton’s right-hand post. Nathan Sollosi however spurned a good chance to complete a first half hat-trick, when in acres of space he could only cannon his shot well off target.

Wroxham had to come of the blocks straight from the opening whistle of the second half if they wanted to get themselves back into the contest. They duly did that, winning a number of early corners, before pulling one back in the 56^th minute. Miles squared a ball off to Poynter who steered his shot past Blockley. The Yachtsmen had indeed raised their game and had given themselves a lifeline.

However, Henry Day then went on an amazing run that started when he dispossessed a Wroxham player just outside his own box and ended when he laid off Dolan just outside the Wroxham one. Several opposing players were left in their wake, with Sutton having to pull off a good save to keep out Dolan’s darting shot.

There was a heart-in-mouth moment for the home fans in the 67^th minute when Conley Poynter latched onto a loose ball in the box and fired a powerful shot that thumped against the post, but a minute later it was Wroxham’s fans who had a similar experience as Nathan Sollosi had a shot saved on the line by Sutton. In the 71^st minute Nathan Sollosi was again played in but this time his shot was skewed wide.

The visitors had been growing as the game went on, and having pulled one back they then levelled the tie in the 78^th minute when an initial header hit the cross bar, from which Curtis was able to bundle the ball home. Not the best goal you will ever seen scored – but they all count – and Wroxham had got themselves back into the contest.

The hosts were able to pick themselves up and almost re-took the lead when Dolan had a cross shot cleared off the line, with the resulting corner taking a number of deflections before falling to Fehinti Falola whose shot was well saved by Sutton.

The closing stages were intense and end-to-end; one moment Lappin was hustled off the ball just outside the Buckhurst Hill box, the next Sonny Shilling was bending a free kick round the Wroxham wall which Sutton tipped away. The visitors then launched an attack, with a final cross into the box being headed over by Lappin.

Penalties were looking, in what had been a quite compelling Vase tie. Then in the final minute Wroxham were awarded a free kick just outsdie the box and up stepped Ryan Miles to deliver a shot that crashed into the net, sparking celebrations from the Wroxham fans, and heartbreak for the home fans. Last time out Buckhurst Hill had won the game with a late free kick, this time around they were knocked out in the same fashion. Football can be cruel sometimes, but Buckhurst Hill have had an amazing Vase run which ended at the hands of a strong step 5 side who are looking to get promoted come the season’s end. Not at all bad for a club on their inaugural Vase campaign

.

Buckhurst Hill: Daniel Blockley, Liam Foster, Ted Buchanan (Max Nicholson 55′), Alfie Harris, Henry Day, Louis Wynter (Jake Moss 60′), Sam Sollosi (Fehinti Falola 75′), Josh Banfield (Capt), Tyler Dolan, Sonny Shilling, Nathan Sollosi.

Scorers – Nathan Sollosi (3′, 21′).

Wroxham: Ollie Sutton (Capt), Wyatt Hill, Travis Dodsworth, Harley Black, Chris Skipper, Tom Huckerby, Ryan Miles, Shaun Taylor (Ollie Yun 80′), Matty Haydin, Ryan Curtis (Callum Olpin 90+1′), Conley Poynter.

Scorers – Conley Poynter (56′), Ryan Curtis (78′), Ryan Miles (90′).