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Faversham 0-0aet VCD Res
VCD Win 5-3 on Pens - Kent Int.Cup R2
After not playing since Mid-November, the Reserves had to endure 120 mins and a penalty shoot-out on Saturday to eventually overcome Faversham Town after having to concede home advantage in order to play their re-arranged Kent Intermediate Cup tie after the numerous attempts to get the game on at Oakwood. VCD Res. welcomed back Nick Hylance as Skipper after being involved within the First Team since the beginning of October and also featured Chris Whitehouse and Martin Driscoll, making his comeback from injury after eleven months out, whilst Brad Ryan started his first game for the Reserves since recovering from injury.
After drawing their previous league encounter 1-1 back in September, both Webby and Evo were hoping to see another good performance from the squad on a heavy pitch with immediately, VCD looking to set their stamp on the game with Tommy Cornwell and Stuart Hammond combining well up front, whilst the Midfield of Ian Ransom, Mickey Shipp, Jay Wilkshire and Ryan were trying to get on top against a Faversham midfield five and VCD forced a number of early corners which saw VCD nearly take the lead as after seeing a corner partly cleared, Shipp produced a lovely trick to leave his defender in his wake and lofted the ball towards the back post, where Driscoll and Tom Holland both got in each others way via non-communication and Driscoll’s header landed on the top of the net, before Ryan fired a 25 yd just over the bar on the half-volley and then VCD were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the box, which Wilkshire curled past the wall and agonizingly just past the far post, with the GK rooted. VCD had a let-off as Faversham scored but the striker was adjudged offside late in the first half after a cross from the right, but at HT, VCD were the happy side and once again, the HT talk was all about taking the chances being created, which has become a common theme throughout the season so far. The second half saw much of the same as VCD continued to look the stronger side in the second half and Sam Humphries was introduced on the hour mark to replace Driscoll, after his first game in nearly a year, but once again chances were not taken as Hammond and Cornwell both saw chances blocked in a mass scramble after good work by both Wilkshire and Humphries and Alan Owens was introduced in the place of Shipp, with Cornwell dropping into Midfield and Ryan moving out wide and within mins, Owens broke through after good play by Cornwell and after being caught by the defender, he managed to stay on his feet, but saw his effort hit the side-netting, when if he would have gone down, it would have been a penalty and a certain Red Card for the Faversham player. Faversham once again had a goal disallowed for offside, but the VCD defence had stayed strong and GK Lee Crane hadn’t had to make any real saves since the opening quarter of the game.Once again, Hammond saw a chance blocked by a last gasp tackle, before with the game heading into the last ten mins, the game swung on two incidents, firstly Faversham broke into the box after some good interplay and the Midfielder’s shot was partially blocked by Crane and as the ball trickled towards the open goal, it seemed that VCD were on the verge of a cup exit, but Crane recovered to slide the ball with a fly-kick away, virtually on the goal-line, before Hammond put Owens through on goal with a great reverse ball and Owens went around the GK, but once again hit the side netting as two defenders raced back to block the open goal.Unfortunately within the last minute of normal time, Holland went down after making a last-gasp tackle on the by-line and was forced off with a dislocated shoulder, which required immediate hospital treatment and he was replaced by Danny McGuiness with Whitehouse going to CB. Extra-Time arrived and immediately, excellent play from Wilkshire saw him brought down on the edge of the box, just as he was about to pull the trigger by the last man, but unbelievably the Ref saw it the other way, and Wilkshire was booked for dissent, and the game became end to end with few chances as both teams tried to unlock both defences who were remaining strong, but with the shoot-out nearing, it took some good play out wide by Owens to see Hammond’s header saved at the last gasp by the Faversham GK and then Ransom who had worked tirelessly all game long, put a ball through the defence for Hammond to fire a half volley wide with the final chance before the Final Whistle went. The dreaded penalties arrived, and Owens, Wilkshire, Ryan, Cornwell and Humphries were the five chosen Vickers players, and along with GK Crane, Vickers were hoping for the similar result as last season’s Cup upset away at Bromley and with Vickers going first, Owens, Wilkshire and Ryan all scored to make it 3-2 before GK Crane, produced a great save low down to his right to give VCD the advantage, Cornwell made it 4-2 and Crane nearly won the tie, guessing correctly but just failing to keep out a fiercely struck pen, meaning that Humphries with VCD’s final pen held the key and he also produced a perfect penalty to win the tie for VCD and to give them a home quarter-final vs D1 Whitstable Town. After eight weeks without a game, VCD Res. now face two in three days as they travel to Greenwich Borough in the League on Tuesday night, before travelling to Margate on Saturday 27th with both games crucial to VCD’s promotion ambitions.
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