Reds Run Roit

[Duffer]

Willenhall Town 6 Coventry Marconi 0

 

FA Vase Qualifying

Saturday 7th September, 2002

 

Striker Gary Hay collected his second successive hat-trick as Willenhall went goal crazy in this FA Vase first qualifying round tie against Midland Combination side Marconi, but the Coventry based side will rue missed chances as they failed to capitalise on a promising start.

 

It was the visitors who started positively against their Midland Alliance hosts with striker Nicky Martin twice testing home keeper Nathan Vaughan, then from an Alan Ward free kick, Martin glanced the ball narrowly wide of the post.

 

But Willenhall weathered the storm to take a 21st minute lead when top scorer Hay almost took on the entire Marconi defence to wieve his way across the box and slam a low drive past keeper Chris Daffern.

 

Boosted by that strike, Hay came close to adding a second before John Quilt, making his second full appearance for the club, stunned everyone with a dipping effort from just inside the Marconi half of the field that arrowed straight over Daffern's head for a stunning second goal on 37 minutes.

 

When Hay swept in a Michael Moseley cross in the 41st minute, the visitors trudged into the half time break wondering what went wrong and Marconi's fortunes waned even further in the 50th minute as Hay completed a remarkable two games with his second treble. The former Alvechurch striker getting between two defenders to almost nonchalantly flick the ball over the advancing Daffern for Willenhall's fourth.

 

When Quilt supplied Michael Moseley with the through ball in the 75th minute, the skipper showed his talent to fire past the harangued keeper from a wide angle and Marconi's misery was compounded in the last minute as substitute Lee Bullimore revealed his recovery from injury, converting a Matthew Tomlinson inch perfect pass to earn a home tie against Leicestershire side Friar Lane OB in the next round.