County Cups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FansFocus.Com SENIOR CUP
 
 

GRAYS ATHLETIC   0 - 2   HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS
 
Heybridge Swifts booked a place in the FansFocus.Com Essex Senior Cup semi-finals as first half goals from David Wareham and Mark Reddaway sealed a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a strong Grays Athletic side at the New Rec.

Swifts, who have yet to concede during their Senior Cup run, started slowly against their Blue Square Premier hosts and Grays had early chances as Tom Cruse hit a stinging volley just over the top and Ernie Cooksey slammed a low, twenty-yard drive just off target.

A slip from Swifts 'keeper Ollie Morris-Sanders almost let Ashley Barnes' shot creep inside the post but he soon acquitted himself and turned-in a match winning performance, particularly after the interval.

Heybridge had already shown their intent, with Gary Burrell cutting in and smacking a twenty-yard shot just over the top before they took the lead on 20 minutes, Adam Passfield playing the ball into the path of Wareham who calmly slotted past Grays 'stopper Ross Flitney from fifteen yards.

Grays replied well and Neil McCafferty, making his debut after joining from Derry City, attempted an angled shot over the bar before Sanders made the first of a fine string of saves as he pushed away Danny Kedwell's header from a swinging McCafferty free-kick.

The home side were then dealt a sucker-punch as Heybridge grabbed their second on 39 minutes, a great cross from Gary Burrell headed home by Reddaway from close range.

The second period saw some intense Grays pressure as the home side looked for a way back into the game. Early openings saw Ashley Barnes hold-off the attentions of Daryl Bourgeois before having a shot pushed away by Sanders and McCafferty's fierce thirty-yard drive was deflected inches past the upright. From the resulting Charley Hearn corner, Cruse flicked Kedwell's goal-bound header over the crossbar.

Sanders made a brave block at the feet of substitute Toren Senghore following a neat Hearn pass before the save of the match saw Sanders deny Barnes' low drive, gathering sharply at the second attempt.

With two minutes remaining Grays were almost thrown a life-line but Jamie Day's effort from distance bounced back off a post before stand-in defender Stafford Browne blocked Jack Obersteller's rebound. But it was Sanders who came into to limelight once again as the game drew to a close in stoppage time, acrobatically tipping another McCafferty dipping volley over the crossbar.

Grays Athletic: Ross Flitney (Bradley Gibbons, 70), Luke Woodward, Jack Obersteller, Neil McCafferty, Josh Green (Toren Senghore, 63), Ernie Cooksey, Charley Hearn, Jamie Day, Ashley Barnes, Danny Kedwell (Cam Mawer, 63), Tom Cruse. Unused Substitutes: Callum Leahy, Shaun Strange.

Heybridge Swifts: Ollie Morris-Sanders, Ryan Hull, Craig Ewing, Stafford Browne, Adam Passfield (Luke Fisher, 72), Daryl Bourgeois, Gary Burrell (Alex Rowe, 69), Adam Gillespie, Sean Marks, Mark Reddaway (Adam Brotherton, 78), David Wareham. Unused Substitutes: Reece Morgan, Jamie Morgan.

Bookings: None.

Referee: Rob Whitton (Chelmsford).

Assistant Referees: Graham Atkins (Southend-on-Sea) and Lloyd Wood (Dagenham).

Attendance: 132.

Man of the Match: Ollie Morris-Sanders (Heybridge Swifts) - After a shaky start, Ollie came into his own, making a string of fine saves. Under some intense Grays pressure in the second half, Morris-Sanders stood strong and made numerous interventions to keep the home side at bay and preserve his side's Senior Cup clean sheet record.