Continuing the road to Wembley in the FA Vase
Grant leads the way
WROXHAM took another step towards a dream trip to Wembley by booking a place in the quarter-finals with win over Eastern Counties League rivals Stowmarket Town.
Evergreen 38-year-old former Norwich City striker Grant Holt was instrumental in the Yachtsmen’s victory, with the striker scoring a second-half penalty and setting up the second in injury time.
With just three places separating the two sides in the league, this tie had all the makings of a cracker and the football didn’t disappoint.
Stowmarket were left with a mountain to climb in the 65th minute when they were reduced to ten men and conceded from the resulting spot kick and Wroxham – finalists in 2010 – were well worth their victory; much to the delight of manager Jordan Southgate.
“The lads were outstanding, I’m delighted and I couldn’t be prouder,” he said. “They haven’t lost a game yet this season but we believed in ourselves and we got the boys to believe in each other and I think everyone saw today we were deserved winners.
“We knew we would out run them, the question was would be outplay them and I thought we did that.”
Southgate’s side almost got off to a dream start when Harley Black spotted Stow keeper James Bradbrook off his line in the second minute but Black’s effort floated just wide.
Wroxham struggled to make their pressure tell despite Joe Keeley and Tim Henery forcing Bradbrook into action.
Stowmarket looked to have upped their game from the re start of the second half.
Robert Sweeney dragged a powerful strike from just outside the penalty area wide of the target in the 54th minute, with his side’s big chance to break the deadlock coming just seconds later.
Sweeney’s cross was met by the head of top scorer Josh Mayhew but his close-range header fell straight into the hands of Yachtsmen keeper Ollie Sutton.
Having weathered a storm, Wroxham’s big break came five minutes after the hour mark when Charlie Clarke was brought to ground by Tom Bullard as he burst in the box.
Bullard picked up his second booking for the tackle, and Holt stepped up and made no mistake sending Bradbrook the wrong way to give his side the lead .
Stow could have been reduce to nine men when Bradbrook rushed out of the area and fouled Clarke, but the keeper escaped with a yellow.
The introduction of Matt Blake almost paid dividends for Stow but his 82nd minute strike was kept out by the woodwork .
Wroxham made their place in the quarter-finals safe in injury time when Holt’s ball was calmly slotted home by Shaun Taylor.