1874 Northwich vs Congleton Town

Recap

1874 NORTHWICH 1-1 CONGLETON TOWN FA VASE 2ND QUAL RD 24TH SEPT 2017

For the fourth time this season 1874 Northwich require a replay to settle a cup tie having drawn 1-1 at St Luke’s Barton Stadium with Congleton Town in the second qualifying round of the Buildbase FA Vase.

1874 started the brighter with Paul Connor forcing Congleton defender Jonah O’Reilly to turn a low cross towards his own goal in the 4th minute. Not for the last time goalkeeper Andy Jones came to his sides rescue turning the ball around the post for a corner.

1874 kept up the pressure in the opening minutes forcing several corners, but it was former 1874 player Neil Chappell, now captaining the Bears, who went closest to opening the scoring. In the 10th minute he picked up a loose ball twenty yards from goal and launched a first time shot goal wards, 1874 goalkeeper Greg Hall spectacularly flew through the air to tip his former team mate’s effort over the bar.

Ten minutes later Hall recovered well to save bravely at the feet of Tom Morris, after the Congleton man had intercepted his poor clearance.

However, Hall could not prevent the visitors from taking the lead in the 36th minute. Declan Fletcher rounded the 1874 back four and fired a low cross from the right across the face of 1874’s goal where Emini Adegbenro was on hand to score from close range.

Their lead did not last too long as 1874 were level three minutes later. Adam Whitlock drilled a corner low into a packed penalty area. Surrounded by static defenders Jake Parker turned the ball into the net.

1874 had enjoyed a greater share of possession and attacking play in the first half while after the break Congleton’s more direct style enabled them to gain the upper hand.

Adegbenro went close to notching a second goal five minutes into the second half flicking a Morris cross inches wide of the post. Five minutes later Martin Hall delivered a dangerous cross from the right flank into 1874’s area, with Matt Farnworth closing in Hall palmed the ball away to safety.

On the hour mark, Whitlock battled to win the ball from Chappell before playing a pass into the path of Scott McGowan who rounded the keeper and saw his shot from an acute angle fly across the face of the goal and inches wide of the far post.

Fletcher blazed a shot high and wide after a good run by Jason Carey before with just two minutes left on the clock Parker delivered a cross into the Congleton area which found Whitlock unmarked. The ball bounced off Whitlock’s chest, Jones reacted first to scoop up the ball to take the tie into extra time.

The opening minutes of extra time saw play switch from end to end without either side looking like scoring until 1874 gained control towards the end of the first half. Jones saved well to deny Sam Hind and McGowan, while McGowan and Kyle Riley shot narrowly wide of the target.

Jones was also kept busy in the final five minutes tipping a Riley header over the bar and saving a Kazim Waite-Jackson shot before pulling off a point blank save in the last minute to deny McGowan.

1874 – Hall, Connor, L Jackson, Pritchard, Meadowcroft, Parker (Waite-Jackson 113), Whitlock, M Woolley, McGowan, Hind, Beadle (Riley 70). Subs not used Lever, Woods, Mitchell.

CONGLETON – Jones, Hill, Peters, Stevens, O’Reilly, Chappell, Adegbenro (Tandy 106), Farnworth (Hasler-Cregg 61), Fletcher, Carey, Morris (Ford 80).

GOALS – 1874 Parker 39 CONGLETON Adegbenro 36

ATTENDANCE 313 REFEREE Ian Walsh