Buildbase FA Vase Semi-Final First Leg - Northwich Victoria 1 Chertsey Town 1
Sun 24th March 2019 | FA Challenge Vase | By Ian Templeman
A Harvey Whyte equaliser 17 minutes from time earned Northwich Victoria a draw from the Buildbase FA Vase semi-final first leg at Wincham Park.
They now head down to Surrey on Saturday for the second leg, to face a Chertsey Town side who are unbeaten at home in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League this season.
On a blustery afternoon that made conditions difficult for both sides, Dave Taylor had put Chertsey ahead in the 40th minute with a close range finish, and the visitors were decent value for their half time lead.
But Vics kept going and after Harvey Whyte had a great chance denied by a last ditch tackle, the Vics man had better luck ten minutes later when he collected a fine through ball from Ryan Winder, and rifled a shot into the top of the net bring his side level.
Vics manager Steve Wilkes accepted afterwards that his side have played better, but insisted that it s still a case of all to play for in the tie.
"I think wind spoiled it for both sides, and that both teams will probably be happy with a draw", he said.
"We are better usually against the wind as we like to get it down and play, but in the first half I think the nerves got to some of the players.
"It would have been nice to have gone down there with a lead, but I said the boys afterwards it's just half time and one apiece.
"Ryan Winder has been ill, and hasn't had his best game today, but he has got it in his locker to pick out a pass like that (for the equalising goal), and it was a great finish by Harvey.
"That's the third time now in the last three rounds of the Vase that we have gone 1-0 down and at 90 minutes it has finished one apiece, so it shows we have got character.
"You could go through half a dozen of my lads today that can play better, and I'm sure they (Chertsey) will say the same for their players. But it's all to play for next week now.
"Hopefully we will come through Tuesday night's game at Congleton unscathed, then we'll train on Thursday night and then on to Saturday.
"But the good things is that next week we are now away from home.
"They will now be the favourites to win the tie, but we can play much better, and I'm sure they can too, I'm sure their manager is saying the same".
It became apparent as soon as the game kicked off that the swirling wind was going to cause problems for both teams, and so it proved.
The early stages were scrappy as both sides attempted to get to grips with the conditions, and chances were at a premium.
The first chance for Vics arrived on 16 minutes, when Robert Doran set off on a chase for a through ball played down the middle by Darryhl Mason, but Nick Jupp in the Chertsey goal reacted quickly to race out and pinch the ball.
There was a heart in the mouth moment for Mason in the 26th minute, when he sliced an attempted clearance from a corner kick towards his own goal, but Vics keeper Danny Taberner was in position to collect the ball.
Straight away up at the other end, Joel Brownhill had a 25 yard effort for Vics that narrowly missed the far post, in what was Vics' first clear attempt on goal.
But Chertsey were looking the more composed side on the ball, and the visitors broke the deadlock five minutes before half time.
A Dale Binns cross was headed against the post by Jake Baxter, and the ball landed kindly at the feet of Lubomir Guentchev, who squared the ball to set up Dave Taylor for a simple close range finish.
It could have got worse for Vics a couple of minutes later, when a Guentchev pass set up Binns for a shot from the edge of the box, but the Chertsey wide man, who had an impressive first half, blazed a wild shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
After the break, Vics began well, and after Joel Brownhill sent a long range effort over the bar, Harvey Whyte also missed the target after being teed up by Darryhl Mason.
Just after the hour, Whyte seized on a long ball that deceived the Chertsey defence and arrowed in on goal, but just as he shaped to shoot he was denied by a great saving tackle from Chertsey's Sam Murphy.
But with 18 minutes remaining, Whyte finally made the breakthrough for Vics, with a beautifully worked equaliser.
A delightful ball over the top of the defence from Ryan Winder found Whyte free on the right flank, and after a terrific first touch he buried a great shot into the roof of the net to pull his side level.
Although both side had moments of pressure late on, there was no further scoring, leaving the tie tantalisingly poised going into the second leg on Saturday.
Buildbase FA Vase Semi-Final First Leg - Northwich Victoria 1 Chertsey Town 1
Sun 24th March 2019 | FA Challenge Vase
By Ian Templeman
A Harvey Whyte equaliser 17 minutes from time earned Northwich Victoria a draw from the Buildbase FA Vase semi-final first leg at Wincham Park.
They now head down to Surrey on Saturday for the second leg, to face a Chertsey Town side who are unbeaten at home in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League this season.
On a blustery afternoon that made conditions difficult for both sides, Dave Taylor had put Chertsey ahead in the 40th minute with a close range finish, and the visitors were decent value for their half time lead.
But Vics kept going and after Harvey Whyte had a great chance denied by a last ditch tackle, the Vics man had better luck ten minutes later when he collected a fine through ball from Ryan Winder, and rifled a shot into the top of the net bring his side level.
Vics manager Steve Wilkes accepted afterwards that his side have played better, but insisted that it s still a case of all to play for in the tie.
"I think wind spoiled it for both sides, and that both teams will probably be happy with a draw", he said.
"We are better usually against the wind as we like to get it down and play, but in the first half I think the nerves got to some of the players.
"It would have been nice to have gone down there with a lead, but I said the boys afterwards it's just half time and one apiece.
"Ryan Winder has been ill, and hasn't had his best game today, but he has got it in his locker to pick out a pass like that (for the equalising goal), and it was a great finish by Harvey.
"That's the third time now in the last three rounds of the Vase that we have gone 1-0 down and at 90 minutes it has finished one apiece, so it shows we have got character.
"You could go through half a dozen of my lads today that can play better, and I'm sure they (Chertsey) will say the same for their players. But it's all to play for next week now.
"Hopefully we will come through Tuesday night's game at Congleton unscathed, then we'll train on Thursday night and then on to Saturday.
"But the good things is that next week we are now away from home.
"They will now be the favourites to win the tie, but we can play much better, and I'm sure they can too, I'm sure their manager is saying the same".
It became apparent as soon as the game kicked off that the swirling wind was going to cause problems for both teams, and so it proved.
The early stages were scrappy as both sides attempted to get to grips with the conditions, and chances were at a premium.
The first chance for Vics arrived on 16 minutes, when Robert Doran set off on a chase for a through ball played down the middle by Darryhl Mason, but Nick Jupp in the Chertsey goal reacted quickly to race out and pinch the ball.
There was a heart in the mouth moment for Mason in the 26th minute, when he sliced an attempted clearance from a corner kick towards his own goal, but Vics keeper Danny Taberner was in position to collect the ball.
Straight away up at the other end, Joel Brownhill had a 25 yard effort for Vics that narrowly missed the far post, in what was Vics' first clear attempt on goal.
But Chertsey were looking the more composed side on the ball, and the visitors broke the deadlock five minutes before half time.
A Dale Binns cross was headed against the post by Jake Baxter, and the ball landed kindly at the feet of Lubomir Guentchev, who squared the ball to set up Dave Taylor for a simple close range finish.
It could have got worse for Vics a couple of minutes later, when a Guentchev pass set up Binns for a shot from the edge of the box, but the Chertsey wide man, who had an impressive first half, blazed a wild shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
After the break, Vics began well, and after Joel Brownhill sent a long range effort over the bar, Harvey Whyte also missed the target after being teed up by Darryhl Mason.
Just after the hour, Whyte seized on a long ball that deceived the Chertsey defence and arrowed in on goal, but just as he shaped to shoot he was denied by a great saving tackle from Chertsey's Sam Murphy.
But with 18 minutes remaining, Whyte finally made the breakthrough for Vics, with a beautifully worked equaliser.
A delightful ball over the top of the defence from Ryan Winder found Whyte free on the right flank, and after a terrific first touch he buried a great shot into the roof of the net to pull his side level.
Although both side had moments of pressure late on, there was no further scoring, leaving the tie tantalisingly poised going into the second leg on Saturday.
