AT THE ‘ OTHER ST JAMES’S PARK’ WELFARE CAME FROM
BEHIND TO COMFORTABLY DISPOSE OF THE MOST NORTHERLY TEAM IN THE FA VASE.
Up a pronounced slope Welfare were the first to show , Mark Newton
getting to the bye line to cross without support. At a fast pace Welfare had
consecutive goal attempts blocked out and again Newton was denied when home keeper Bryan Brooks gathered under the crossbar. Welfare were stunned when the home men took the lead on the quarter hour mark, Town’s
Jimmy Snordy taking advantage of hesitancy in the Welfare defence to strike a shot against the upright and Gavin Keen picking
up to drive a fierce shot past keeper Tom Morgan from the edge of the penalty area.
Realizing that they were now in a game Welfare picked themselves
up and went fiercely for the leveller, this arriving within minutes, Jamie Thompson meeting a corner kick with a powerful
header and although a defender on the goal line looked to have saved the situation, Danny King had stolen in to prod the ball
home.
Welfare had survived the scare but were now very much in command
and went ahead five minutes later, Darren Leach setting things up by cleverly working space in midfield and laying a perfect
ball in the path of the elusive King who went on the drill a fine low shot past Brooks.
Welfare went close to increasing the lead as Andy Seed, having been
chopped down en route to goal, struck the resultant free kick against the crossbar with Brooks well beaten
Within minutes of the start of the second period Welfare virtually
clinched the tie as King teed up for Andy Seed to drive in across the angle and from then on, despite Town’s never say
die spirit, the visitors were home and dry.
With the tie to all intents and purposes settled, King was finding
more and more room to tantalise the home defence, first jinking in to strike against the foot of an upright, and then following
an unbelievably mazy run, striking the inside of the opposite upright , the ball rolling agonizingly along the goal line and
eventually in to the welcoming clutch of the bemused Brooks. In between all this
Morgan was only brought in to rare action to field the occasional lapses by his defence and Welfare made the long journey
back content with a job well done and looking forward to the next round draw.
Team: Tom Morgan, Adam Sadler, Richard Dobson, Paul Mattison, Gareth Liversedge, Jamie Thompson
(Paul Arkle), Andy Seed, Lee Parker (Richard Stack), Danny King, Darren Leach (Ashley Brewer), Mark Newton, not used Adam
Fox, Ashley Fieldhouse.