City Vase dream lives on

CANTERBURY 3 NEWPORT PAG 2

Canterbury City won their way through to the last 16 of the FA Vase after an enthralling contest against Newport Pagnell at Salters Lane on Sunday.

The home twice led by two goals but had to endure a tense finish after their United Counties League opponents had made it 3-2 with minutes remaining.

A cagey opening period meant that chances were at a premium early on, although Josh Winters did blaze a second-minute volley well wide for the visitors.

City gradually started to get into their stride and Laurence Harvey saw a header and a shot blocked in quick succession before the home side deservedly broke the deadlock in the 30th minute.

The goal owed much to the persistence of Renford Tenyue, who recovered quickly to regain his feet and possession after being fouled by Scott Mulkern giving the referee the chance to play the advantage.

When the ball eventually broke to Kyron Lightfoot down the right he looked up and produced a crisp shot which went across Pagnell keeper Mark Osbourne and in off the far post.

The scorer then turned provider as City doubled their lead on 41 minutes, sending over a freekick from the left which was met with a firm header by Bola Dawodu.

Pagnell started the second half with renewed determination and an overhead kick from top scorer Dom Lawless looped up nicely for Jack Delo before an Adam Mousii shot was blocked by Dawodu chasing back to defend.

Adam Woollcott struck an effort well over for City before Dean Grant won the ball in midfield and surged forward, only to see his shot well blocked at close range by Osbourne.

The City man then lifted the rebound over the keeper but, agonisingly, it bounced and rolled wide of the far post to safety.

Pagnell were now starting to knock on the City door and halved the deficit in the 69th minute.

Harry Stratton bent a free-kick ball low round the wall where it was turned home from close range by Michael Lyons.

The goal prompted Pagnell’s best spell of the game and with Danny Lawrence already on for Lightfoot, City made another change as the other scorer, Dawodu, was replaced by James Turner, who was soon in the game winning the ball in midfield before picking out Tenyue.

His run was halted illegally a yard or two outside the box and from the free-kick Woollcott flashed a cracking shot into the top corner that just curled away from Osbourne’s full-stretch dive at the last second with just seven minutes left.

That looked like securing the tie, but just a minute or so later Jake Stronge went on a lovely weaving run twisting and turning his way into the City box past three or four challenges before slotting the ball home past Delo.

In a frantic last few minutes, Pagnell threw everything they had at City but their hosts held firm with Michael Turner producing a great piece of defending on the halfway line while Liam Quinn then produced two successive quick and brave headers. Canterbury City: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Gary Sayer, Laurence Harvey, Liam Quinn, Ollie Lee, Kyron Lightfoot (Danny Lawrence), Adam Woollcott (Dan Keyte), Bola Dawodu (James Turner), Dean Grant, Renford Tenyue; Subs: (not used) Rob Lawrence, Josh Froggatt Attendance: 259.