Mark Simpson scored the winner for nine-man Garforth in the FA Vase
Nine man Garforth Town held out to win 1-0 at Whickham in their controversial FA Vase second qualifying round tie.
Mark Simpson’s early goal secured Garforth’s passage through, but it was some effort considering that they had to play with two men less for the last 20 minutes after Danny Harris and Josh Moore were sent off.
There were a good number of cautions shown by under-fire referee Dean Hulme.
It was a positive start by Garforth, and on eight minutes Harris put in a cross to Simpson at the back post who side-footed home to open the scoring. The same man almost made it 2-0 moments later. Beating the offside trap, he forced a block from Whickham goalkeeper John Mordey, his clearance falling to Luke Mangham who shot over from distance.
The hosts gradually came into the game, and on 23 minutess their first chance fell to Steven Aiston when he headed wide Ian Balmain’s cross to the back post. Five mins before half time Kallum Broadhead’s free kick flashed just wide of the post.
Two minutes into the second half Aiston was picked out again, by Andrew Brown’s delivery from wide but headed wide of the target again. Town were reliant on counter attacks using the pace of Simpson and Mangham, and a ball over the top from Ashley Preece found Mangham but the Whickham defence alongside him did enough to stop him troubling Mordey. On 56 minutes good work by Thomas Smith saw him supply Harris in the box, but Mordey got down to gather his low shot.
The hosts were having the better of the play, but lacked the quality and composure to really trouble Ben Hunter. Town’s cause had already been hindered by a couple of questionable bookings, but things got worse on 67 minutes when sub Moore was adjudged to have raised his arm against an opposing player when attempting to head the ball. With the player grounded and his teammates, bench and home support up in arms, referee Hulme sent Moore for an early bath only four mins after coming on.
Only two mins later Garforth were down to nine men after Harris’ sliding challenge on Balmain in the middle of the park was deemed to be two-footed and referee Hulme produced his red card again.
So with 20 mins to go, a backs to the wall job for Town. But the pressure was now on Whickham. Sub Levi Oman put in a dangerous cross from the right on 73 minutes which needed a big hand from Hunter to keep away from danger. On 82 minutes Aiston headed against the post when well placed, and in the resulting scramble a home player went down amongst more appeals but this time Hulme wasn’t interested and let the game continue. Further chances followed in the next few mins with Hunter making a couple of good saves.
There was still time for a couple more Town chances however for an unlikely 2nd goal. A foray down the left on 86 mins by Smith saw him pick Mangham on the edge of the box but he agonisingly smashed against the crossbar when well-placed. A free kick won a minute before time on the edge of the box saw Mordey keep Tim Robertson’s strike out of the top corner.
Unsurprisingly the ball was soon back at the other end though and Scott Swanston wasted a glorious chance when picked out in the box but blazed over the bar. An injury to Simon Rogers after a clash of heads and attention from both physios added further minutes of injury time for Garforth to endure. If Town were to head home with nothing, two Whickham goals in normal time was surely better than 30 minutes of extra time with a two-man disadvantage.
Garforth defended heroically, but chances still fell to the hosts who simply couldn’t put the ball in the net. Things were summed up in their final two chances in injury time when Swanston headed straight at Hunter and Mark Fitzpatrick headed over the bar from a long throw.
Garforth Town: Hunter, Hawksworth (captain), Robertson, Shelton, Rogers, Alali, Simpson, Preece, Smith, Mangham, Harris. Subs: Monfredi, Moore, Lund.
Referee: Dean Hulme
Attendance: 60
Thanks to Andrew Marsh for this report.