Monday 15th February 2010, Melbourne Stadium, Kick-off 7:30pm, Essex Senior Cup supported by BBC Essex Quarter-Final.
Chelmsford City cruised into a third successive Essex Senior Cup supported by BBC Essex semi-final as Marlon Patterson’s hat-trick set-up a 5-0 victory over Aveley at Melbourne Stadium in an exact replica of the 2003 final.
Patterson grabbed his trio in the final 20 minutes of the tie to finally see-off a spirited challenge from Aveley, the visitors pushing Chelmsford hard in the first half despite a flying start from the hosts earning them a two-goal lead within five minutes.
As City got off to a flyer, Oliver Berquez opened the scoring on 3 minutes, angling a low shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards before Robert Edmans quickly doubled the lead, neatly clipping the ball past ‘keeper Rhys Madden.
Aveley came back strongly, however, as they looked to haul themselves back into the tie before the break. Home ‘keeper Ashley Harrison did well to push out Ryan Edgar’s fierce drive and Che Stadhart missed a golden opportunity when he failed to capitalise from close range following David Knight’s dangerous cross.
Patterson also wasted a chance for the home side, a heavy touch having been played in on goal allowing Madden to collect before City stopper Harrison was tested once more by Edgar, this time clinging onto a 20-yard free-kick.
Dave Rainford headed a Patterson cross wide of the far post for the home side but it was the visitors who finished the half the stronger. Knight saw his stabbed effort well held by Harrison before Edgar’s low drive bounced off a post and Sam Lechmere was denied by a terrific Steve Ward block after a fine move on the edge of the six-yard box.
Aveley’s challenge was finally cast aside after the interval. Ricky Modeste had lobbed wide from range and Ricky Holmes had hit the angle of post and bar with an exceptional effort before the decisive third goal arrived on 71. Holmes crossed for Edmans whose header was pushed out by Madden only to cause chaos in the Aveley area, Ryan Doyle hitting the underside of his own crossbar before Patterson cleaned-up by firing in the loose ball.
A minute later it was four, Edmans laying off for Patterson to slot home from close range before a full-strength Edmans fired over. The scoring, and Marlon’s hat-trick, was completed in the final minute, Edmans once again the provider as he took the ball past Madden before cutting-back for Patterson to guide home.
Chelmsford City: Ashley Harrison, Anthony Cook, Michael Haswell (Josh Brown, 33), Grant Cooper, Steve Ward (Ryan Batchford, 78), David Rainford, Oliver Berquez, Ricky Modeste, Robert Edmans, Marlon Patterson, Ricky Holmes. Unused Substitutes: Pearce Clarke, Max Johnson, Lewis Batchford.
Aveley: Rhys Madden, Ryan Doyle, Sam Holloway, Ryan Edgar, Michael Alaile (John Maskell, 81), Emmanuel Udoji, Sam Lechmere, Darren Quinton (Sherwin Stanley, 78), David Knight (Nicky Symons, 78), Che Stadhart, Junior Dadson. Unused Substitutes: Martin Tuohy, Matt Johnson.
Bookings: Chelmsford: Holmes (69, foul). Aveley: Holloway (30, foul), Symons (85, foul).
Referee: Elliott Kaye (Hainault).
Assistant Referees: Warren Harvey (Waltham Abbey) and Edward Andrews (London).
Attendance: 206.
Man-of-the-Match: Marlon Patterson (Chelmsford City): Aside from claiming the match ball with three deadly late strikes, the tricky wide man was a handful for the Miller from the first whistle with his pacey runs down the left.