This was an exciting start to the prestigious FA Vase competition at St Margaretsbury’s Hertfordshire ground, as a healthy crowd gathered on a pleasant evening. The hosts compete in the Essex Senior League at step 5 and currently sit in 14th place after a tricky start to the season. While visitors Benfleet, who play in the Thurlow and Nunn First Division south (step 6) have started their league campaign positively and sat top of the league, with their closest challengers due to meet on Saturday.

Benfleet started the game brightly and had an early penalty appeal turned down by the referee Mark Bright in the opening minutes. After only 7 minutes pacey winger Luc Harpon was played through down the right-hand side and with plenty of space he drove towards goal, turned inside the last defender expertly and fired into the far corner to give Benfleet the lead. The visitors almost added a second when a ball was fizzed across goal and nearly converted by Billy Bonham-Dare, but it was just out reach.

On 25 minutes a decent free kick from Taylor Lawrence was tipped over by St Mags goalkeeper Christian North and from the resulting corner Sonny Hartman showed great desire to head powerfully, but saw his effort hit the top of the crossbar and go over. St Margaretsbury attacks were being controlled fairly comfortably in the first thirty minutes by the organised Benfleet defensive unit.

The hosts did create a great chance though when an inch perfect pass sprung the Benfleet offside trap and captain Tom Cowell smashed the ball against the post and away. This proved to be costly as St Margarestbury gave away possession very cheaply in their own half and Harpon, who was now playing on the left, surged across the box and around the keeper, where Bonham-Dare was there to slot home into the far corner. On 40 minutes things went from bad to worse for the hosts when the referee blew for a St Mags free kick and captain Tom Cowell was incensed that an advantage was not played and threw the ball away. He was called over by the referee and must have spoken out of turn, as he was then sent to the sin bin, which meant the hosts would play for 10 minutes with 10 men.

Neither side created another chance on goal in the final five minutes of the first half. Harpon, who had caused numerous problems for the hosts, was replaced at half time by Blackburn due to an injury. Half time score – St Margaretsbury 0 Benfleet 2.

The second half started fairly quietly and the first big chance fell to the hosts, when Aiden Read headed towards goal and the ball was headed off the line by a Benfleet player and could well have crept in without this intervention.

St Margaretsbury substitute Kyle Roberts looked quite lively since his introduction just before the hour mark and he showed incredible technique to hit a volley sweetly after it had fallen from high, which was matched by a fantastic save by Benfleet keeper Florent Gislette, as he got a strong hand on it and the ball flew away from danger. The game became quite open in the final 15 minutes as the hosts searched for a route back into the game but the defences were mainly on top. Both sides had a half chance, as Ashley Blackburn curled a shot just over and St Mags Napier Brown, who had also been introduced as a substitute whipped a free kick narrowly wide, with some of the crowd seeing the net bulge and thinking it was in!

There had been a few injuries and substitutions in the second half which meant a fair amount of stoppage time was played, but Benfleet saw this out fairly comfortably and thoroughly deserved their victory after a professional performance against higher level opposition. They will now face fellow Thurlow and Nunn first division south side Holland FC in the second qualifying round of the FA Vase (scheduled for the weekend of 25th September – Date TBC).

Report by Paul Clarke