Bowers & Pitsea and Morpeth secure FA Vase semi-final spots

Essex outfit Bowers & Pitsea made far lighter work of their opponents, running out 4-0 winners after a 100-mile trip to Kidlington.

It was the hosts who started well however, with Kristian Thomas unlucky to see his booming header crash off the underside of the bar and to safety, but James Stevens opened the scoring brilliantly for Bowers with a long-range effort from the right.

Henry Owen could have equalised before half time when the ball fell to him five yards out, but his shot was straight at Martyn Guest.

Sub Ben Weedon then struck the bar again for Kidlington early in the second half, but it was skipper Tom Franklin’s red card on 48 minutes that changed the game.

Bowers & Pitsea doubled their advantage when Luke Wilson headed in just two minutes later, and the visitors were then well on top and ran riot for the remainder of the contest.

Another replacement, Jamie Salmon, made the result certain on 71 minutes before Ross Adams put the cherry on top with a classy 20-yard finish ten minutes from time.

Meanwhile, despite taking a battering from the elements in the hours before kick-off, the Morpeth pitch held firm and the hosts took full advantage to dominate the early exchanges in the north-east.

Veteran defender Chris Swailes opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when Manor Farm struggled to clear a corner to give the Highwaymen a deserved lead.

And although Morpeth were still in the ascendancy, it was Bristol who missed a golden opportunity to draw level when Dean Stamp headed just wide from eight yards 11 minutes later.

Morpeth skipper Sean Taylor then went close with a spectacular overhead kick, but really should have doubled his side’s tally as he squandered two golden opportunities before the interval.

James Novak smashed a 20-yard drive off the outside of the Manor Farm post a minute after half time, but with just one goal separating the sides, Morpeth were still living dangerously and the visitors began to get a foothold as the second half wore on.

Pete Sheppard hit a shot into the side-netting on 52 minutes, but should have equalised 18 minutes later when he blazed over the bar after a loose ball fell to him in the area.

And Manor Farm piled on the pressure in the final ten minutes as they desperately searched for a leveller, Sheppard again going wide, before Dale Pearson sealed a 2-0 victory in time added on to send his side through.

Bowers & Pitsea will be at home first in the two-leg semi-final against Morpeth on 12 March, while the other semi-final tie will see Hereford take on Salisbury after both came through their quarter-finals last week.

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