Full-time: West Essex 1-1 Chelmsford City (Chelmsford City win 4-2 on penalties).
Chelmsford City progressed to the fourth round of the Essex Senior Cup after beating West Essex on penalties on Wednesday night.
Essex Senior League outfit West Essex took the lead in the 13th minute of the match when forward Matt McDowell got a decisive touch on Palvy Manduakila’s low effort towards goal.
The Clarets evened the game up in the second half when Archie Tamplin dispatched a clinical free kick past Lewis Edwards in the 60th minute.
Neither side were able to find a winning goal in the remaining half an hour of the proceedings, which meant the tie was decided by a penalty shootout. Charlie Ruff fired the first strike of the shootout over the crossbar, but the Clarets dispatched the rest of their penalties. Goalkeeper Ted Collins saved two of West Essex’s efforts, which allowed the Clarets to set up a fourth round tie against Billericay Town.
Chelmsford City manager Robbie Simpson fielded a changed team on Wednesday evening – the likes of Ted Collins, Geofrey Oknonkwo and Freddie Hockey were all brought into the starting eleven whilst Albert Eames, Jacob Bland and Brandon Bryan-Waugh made their first starts for the club.
Collins’ goal was breached inside the opening 15 minutes of the game when McDowell put his side ahead. Forward McDowell got a decisive touch on Manduakila’s effort towards goal, which wrong-footed Collins and allowed him to register the first goal of the game.
Simpson’s side were unfortunate not to go into half-time level after both Freddie Hockey and Kalvin Kalala came close to equalising. Jordan Greenidge slid a delivery across goal to Hockey who tapped the ball into the back of the net – but the goal was disallowed after Greenidge was judged to have been offside in the build-up to the goal.
Kalala then hit the post in the 42nd minute; the Frenchman combined neatly with Hockey and struck an effort from inside the penalty box which cannoned off of the woodwork and away from danger.
In the second half, City continued to probe for a leveller and were rewarded for their efforts 15 minutes after the restart. Wide man Lester Ward was caught late on the edge of the West Essex penalty area and earned a free kick, which substitute Archie Tamplin stepped forward to take. Tamplin curled his effort past the hosts’ wall and into the back of the net, leaving Edwards with no chance of producing a save.
Greenidge and Hockey both had chances to win the tie in normal time after Tamplin’s leveller, but neither were able to do so, which led to the clash being settled by a penalty shootout.
Charlie Ruff was the first up to step forward from 12-yards but fired his strike over the crossbar. Collins responded by saving Bleron Adelani’s effort. Tamplin, Greenidge and Okonkwo scored City’s next three spot kicks, while Jaedon Phillips and Nathan Brathwaite found the back of the net for West Essex.
Collins impressively tipped Vanadiny Junior Mendes’ effort around the post, which set up Hockey to score the winning penalty. Hockey kept his cool and produced a penalty which was too powerful for Edwards to save. The 19-year-old’s successfully taken effort secured his side an Essex Senior Cup fourth round tie away at Billericay Town.
City are back in cup action again at the weekend when they travel to the home of National League North side Peterborough Sports for an FA Trophy tie.
West Essex XI: Turner (GK); Lamb, Norman (Ademi 72′), Arthur (C), Junior Mendes, Frederick, Manduakila, Brathwaite, McDowell (Adelani 58′), Mahmoudi (Phillips 59′), Plackett.
Unused substitutes: Joao, Alexander.
Yellow cards: none.
Chelmsford City XI: Collins (GK); Eames (Tamplin 46′), James (C) (Turner 22′), Okonkwo, Bryan-Waugh (Duffin 89′); Bland, Williams (Mupomba 89′); Ward (Ruff 66′), Hockey, Kalala; Greenidge.
Unused substitutes: none.
Yellow cards: Greenidge
Attendance: 137
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