Wembley Trail Begins Again

November conditions amidst August sunshine

The Isuzu FA Vase returned at the weekend and this one was in the calendar from the moment the draw was made back in July. As some of you may know I offer clubs a column writing service for a price.

Each column is unique for each game and each club hence the cost and it’s a little business that has grown from three to now eight clubs. One of those clubs is Glebe FC from the Southern Counties League Premier Division.

A trip to Sussex for the Foxes as they headed to one lever lower Mile Oak, the Vase being the most open competition with any Step 5 or 6 side with the potential to go deep in it or even to the Wembley final.

With one or two games falling foul of some heavy overnight rain, there wasn’t too much danger of this one being called off, but not long after kick off the heavens opened for a good ten minutes of torrential rain.

That was then it, giving way to some cracking sunshine for the remainder of the game. Not long after the rain had stopped than the first goal arrived and from one of the most unlikeliest sources on the pitch.

Visiting keeper Justin Lee sent a drop kick down the pitch, the bounce deceiving his opposite number Charlie Dartnell and over his head into the net for the opening goal.

Chances came and went for the Foxes to increase their lead and were made to pay on 27 minutes when Chris Whittington was put in behind the Glebe defence and a fine left foot finish gave Lee no chance.

Just as we seemed set for a 1-1 half time scoreline, the visitors went into the interval in front. A corner in from the left hand side wasn’t cleared properly and after a bit of pinball in the box, Jamie Philpot was on hand to fire home from a few yards out.

That lead lasted just six minutes into the second half, a free kick given away and put straight onto the head of Sonny Webber who unmarked levelled up the scores once again.

Oak were far the better of the two sides for a majority of the second 45 and only a set of three substitutions from Glebe boss Freddie Dillon wrestled control back to the Foxes.

Just as many of us were set for penalties, there was a twist in the tale. That control back with the Foxes saw them re-take the lead with three minutes left, a fine finish from substitute David Ajao gave Dartnell no chance with the fierceness of the shot.

A place in the next round was confirmed in stoppage time as Ajao was beautifully put in on goal and fired the ball into the top corner to complete the win for Glebe and leave Mile Oak wondering what might have been.

The Foxes should have been two or three goals in front before Philpot’s strike just before half time, Oak however created a fair bit of pressure through the second half but had only the equaliser to show for it.

At times, the quality in touch and passing plus movement of the ball across the pitch had Glebe just in front and two superb finishes from Ajao were the effective difference.

Great to see Anthony Whittington before and during various points of the game, very much ingrained in the Oak fabric and brilliant to see how different the club looks now with the purchase of the nursery area and turned into a welcoming clubhouse with kitchen and also some hot food served near to pitch side now.

The company of Montpelier Villa assistant manager Lee Thompson whose side faced Oak on Bank Holiday Monday (Oak running out 5-0 winners) for the majority of the game, the other part with a man I’ve been trying to catch up with for a couple of years, Bryan O’Toole.

A man with one of the best CV’s in County League football, but an altogether great guy to know and a pleasure to have had him at Wick for a short period a few years ago.

Now to show how small the football world really is, Glebe appointed a new manager over the summer, step forward Grace and Rocky’s choice Freddie Dillon.

Freddie and I went to primary school together in Kent, his dad was a scout for Gillingham for many years, reunited for a chat both before and after the game, a tiny world inside a big world I guess.

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