FA Vase Third Round - Saturday/Sunday 3/4 December

[Rhodes]

Five SSML Club's remain in the competition at the Third Round stage, how does that compare to previous campaigns as last season none progressed further than the Third Round:

Saturday 3 December (all kick off 3.00pm)

FA Vase Third Round
Biggleswade United v Lakenheath
Leighton Town v Fakenham Town
Pinchbeck United v St Panteleimon

Sunday 4 December (kick off 3.00pm)

FA Vase Third Round
Dunstable Town v Tring Athletic

Edited November 30, 2022 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

All the weekend's mouth watering ties:

[Rhodes]

As stated previousIy, the FA Vase prize money is 'criminaI' isn't it:

[Rhodes]

On 30/11/2022 at 19:38, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 

FA Vase Third Round
Biggleswade United v Lakenheath

Can Biggleswade United overcome Eastern Counties League Premier Division Lakenheath, the Club have never progressed past the Second Round of the FA Vase previously and have already put Southend Manor, White Ensign, Redbridge and London Lions to the sword in the competition this season:

[Rhodes]

On 30/11/2022 at 19:38, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 

FA Vase Third Round
Leighton Town v Fakenham Town

The tie at Bell Close against Eastern Counties Leage Premier Division Fakenham Town was originally made all ticket for some reason however Leighton Town have had a change of heart. AIso see the match programme:

https://www.leightontownfc.co.uk/news/payment-on-gate-now-available-for-vase-tie-v-fakenham-town-2745890.html  

2022-12-03 Leighton Town v Fakenham Town by leightontownfc - Issuu

Edited December 2, 2022 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 30/11/2022 at 19:38, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 

FA Vase Third Round
Pinchbeck United v St Panteleimon

Both CIub's are in unchartered territory in the competition:

[Rhodes]

Not SSML but I see Bridgwater United beat Cribbs FC 1-0 this evening, despite pIaying with ten men for the whoIe second haIf, and are the first side through to Monday's Fourth Round draw.

[Rhodes]

Three SSML CIub's go into Monday's Fourth Round draw but disappointment for St Panteleimon who had the Iions share of the pIay at United Counties League Premier Division North Pinchbeck United and missed a Iate penaIty:

Saturday 3 December

FA Vase Third Round
Biggleswade United 1 Lakenheath 1 (Biggleswade United win 3-1 on pens)
Leighton Town 2 Fakenham Town 1
Pinchbeck United 1 St Panteleimon 0

[Rhodes]

14 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 
FA Vase Third Round
Pinchbeck United 1 St Panteleimon 0

A match report and photographs:

https://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/sport/club-record-breaking-run-continues-as-the-knights-keep-makin-9287610/

[Rhodes]

It is a shame there has to be a loser this afternoon, see the 52 page match programme:

https://issuu.com/richardscott76/docs/tring-web_119991332a0f95

Sunday 4 December

FA Vase Third Round
Dunstable Town v Tring Athletic

Edited December 5, 2022 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

It is Tring AthIetic who join Leighton Town and Biggleswade United in tomorrow's Fourth Round draw, no doubt two of the three CIub's wiII be drawn together:

Sunday 4 December

FA Vase Third Round
Dunstable Town 2 Tring Athletic 3

[Rhodes]

On 03/12/2022 at 23:50, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 
FA Vase Third Round
Biggleswade United 1 Lakenheath 1 (Biggleswade United win 3-1 on pens)

A groundhopper from another Forum was at Second Meadow, not a bad attendance of 217:

FA Vase Round 3
Biggleswade United 1 Lakenheath 1 (ht 0-0) 3-1 penalties
Venue: Second Meadow, Fairfield Road, Biggleswade (ko 1500hrs)
Entry: £7/4, programme £1
Attendance: 217
Biggleswade United's Chairman, Guillem Balague, flew back from Qatar to see if his team could progress to the Fourth Round of the Vase for the first time. But it looked like it was going to be a wasted visit for most of the game as Lakenheath were the team playing the better football.
The visitors shaded a low key first half and had the best attempt on goal with a lovely shot towards the top corner of the net which was tipped away by the home keeper. The game exploded into life a minute into the second half when Lakenheath found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. We then had an immediate response from Biggleswade, who had been relying on route one football and finally made it work with two throughballs to Taylor Rhiney within a minute of each other. Unfortunately, on both occasions the striker was unable to find the target.
Lakenheath finally took a deserved lead on 58 minutes when a set piece cross was headed down into the centre of the penalty box and Lakenheath's number 5 was first to the ball to prod home. The visitors should have wrapped it up on 77 minutes when they were awarded a penalty, but the taker skied the ball over the bar. Little did we know that this was a portent of things to come. Biggleswade really started to push for the equaliser and with six minutes to go they achieved parity. A somewhat messy goal with the ball coming off the back of a home player before being sent goalward. A defender hooked the ball off the line but the assistant Referee was decisive in flagged that it had crossed the line.
And so to penalties and the away team were about to throw it all away for a second time. They missed their first and fourth spot kicks and hit the post with their third. Biggleswade scored all theirs and they were through in dramatic style.
Not the prettiest of venues but at least the dour fencing that encloses all sides of the ground provides some shelter from the winds. Nice to catch up with Hertspireite of this parish.

[Rhodes]

The draw for the Fourth Round of the FA Vase, it had to be Newport Pagnell Town v Leighton Town again didn't it:

[Rhodes]

On 04/12/2022 at 23:14, Rhodes said:

Sunday 4 December

FA Vase Third Round
Dunstable Town 2 Tring Athletic 3

A groundhopper from another Forum was present:

Dunstable Town 2 v 3 Tring Athletic - FA Vase 3rd Round
Programme 52 pages £2.00 - Admission £5.00 (c) - Att. 252.
With the Clubs being in close geographical proximity to each other, plus playing in the same Division and also having played each other three times this season, there was a certain reticence about starting out on Sunday morning at a time when The Riverbank streetlights were turning themselves off. In the end the reticence was misplaced, though from a home perspective this was largely an avoidable defeat.
Saw Dunstable Town at the end of October and at the time they were unbeaten in the League, and they had only lost one game in all competitions. Since then, their season has gone from acceleration into reverse with only two wins and double the number of defeats (though it should be added that their Vase win over Enfield caught the eye) and their performance here confirmed the decline in their season. Defensively they were lacking especially on either flank as swift Tring attacks down the wings were always a threat and most noticeably was the number of occasions when possession was needlessly conceded in their own half, either as a result of a misplaced pass or alternatively when defenders dwelt too long in possession and ended up conceding control of the ball.
In contrast, Tring Athletic were quick and incisive, particularly in the final third and in Godlove Oppong they had the player that made the crucial difference between the two teams. The direction of travel was clearly shown in the opening minutes as Leo Farruch progressed purposefully down a poorly defended left flank, ideally Farruch should have pulled the ball back to two waiting attackers in the middle but chose to go alone and was perhaps a little fortunate that his heading into the side netting shot took a deflection leading to a corner. The visitors then deservedly took the lead when Farruch's pass to his right located Oppong who angled a shot beyond Connor Coulson into the far corner. Lead should have been swiftly doubled, but in what was the only noticeable occasion that Oppong gave a negative contribution he placed a clear chance wide of the near post. It was only a matter of minutes before Oppong's presence was positively felt as he again found space in the inside right channel, and he placed a shot past Coulson into the same left-hand corner of the net that he had located when scoring the opening goal minutes before.
For the remainder of the half, the hosts pushed forward but it was always the case for the remainder of the contest that they were unsuccessfully 'chasing the game'. Pulling a goal back just before half time may have led to a very different second period but all that could be threatened was an effort from Harvey Greig whose foot was far too much under the ball when struck with the shot soaring high over the bar and a more accurate effort from Oliver Davies which had the power removed by a deflection which led to Oscar Frost in the Tring Athletic goal gathering with ease.
The hosts expectations were briefly raised with them pulling a goal back from what is once again becoming the daily penalty award awarded after Lennie Armstrong clumsily and unnecessarily bundled over Tolu Ikuyinminu and Kelvin Osei-Addo sent Frost the wrong way to halve the deficit. Expected waves of sustained home pressure over the next period, but it simply did not materialise, with Tring especially Oppong pushing forward as frequently as their opponents. Coulson pulled off an instinctive save to deny Farruch who did well to find enough space through a mass of home defenders to direct a shot, however passage to the last thirty two of the Vase was made certain with the visitors third goal of the afternoon which arose from a conceding of possession by the home defence which was exploited by Farruch on the left and his run was concluded with a shot which deflected off of Coulson into the net.
With six minutes, home expectations were once again temporarily raised as Osei-Addo's low cross was touched in from a yard out by Danny Webb, however, as was the case prior there expected pressure from Dunstable Town failed to happen and the if it was not for a flying leap of a save from Coulson to push a shot from Harrison Mead which was travelling inside the left hand post then the margin of victory for the visitors would have been two rather than one. Overall visitors more than deserved their win, though it was clear that Dunstable Town's form has deteriorated since the last time that they were seen.
First visit to Creasey Park since a similar chilly Sunday fixture in February 2018, though recalling the previous visit recalled that on this occasion there was no hailstorm that threatened to cause an abandonment, just the similarity of winters perpetual chill. One of the wiser decisions of the day was to sit in the stand which negated the rawness of the wind, but which became much more noticeable on departure. Good to have a brief catch up with B Wingstone of this parish and also with Andy Short and PMW. Massive thanks to the latter for the lift back to Watford Junction post-match which lopped a considerable amount of time off of the return journey.
The reticence in making the trip was enhanced when it was noted that due to the curse of weekend engineering work there were no trains between St Pancras and Luton. In the end on the outward leg travelled by train to Leighton Buzzard and then catching bus F77 (details for the benefit of GT) onwards to Dunstable. Arrived at the latter just after midday and the sparsely attended environs of the Gary Cooper (JDW) was quickly located for an average couple of pints of Oakham Brewery JHB and a warming Halloumi Burger which had a slightly more generous portion of chips. I should admit at this stage to a partiality to JDW chips on a cold winters' day.
The plan for the return leg of the journey was to visit the Leighton Buzzard micropub and hope that it did not have a blaring TV set showing another game taking place several thousand miles away, in the end PMW's offer of the lift trumped the plan and noticeable how the numbers travelling declined over the course of the evening. Negotiated the c2c rail replacement bus service in place as a result of the never-ending Sunday engineering work that takes place on the Tilbury Loop for the final leg of the journey. Indoors at 20.30.

[Rhodes]

On 05/12/2022 at 17:25, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 
FA Vase Third Round
Biggleswade United 1 Lakenheath 1 (Biggleswade United win 3-1 on pens)

Belated video coverage of this tie:

[Rhodes]

On 02/12/2022 at 17:24, Rhodes said:

Saturday 3 December 

FA Vase Third Round
Leighton Town 2 Fakenham Town 1

A match report and photographs, can Leighton Town emulate their 2017/18, 2019/20 and 2020/21 FA Vase exploits, this time under Lee Bircham:

https://www.leightontownfc.co.uk/teams/11587/match-centre/0-5498703/report

https://www.leightontownfc.co.uk/teams/11587/match-centre/0-5498703/photos