IPSWICH WANDERERS v. SOHAM TOWN RANGERS

FA VASE 1ST ROUND

SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2006

Coming off a run of 3 league defeats, Wanderers needed to dramatically up their game for the FA Vase tie against fellow Ridgeons Premier club. Ben Miller, Matthew Cunningham, Lee Owen and Simon Hyde were all on the bench and Mark Goldfinch had returned from injury.

Wanderers started brightly with Danny Smy putting pressure on Johnson to force the Soham defender into a hasty clearance, and then Rene Swann signalled his intentions by outp[acing Williams down the flank but no-one was available for his deep cross. On 9 mins, Liban set Simpson free but the attempted lob of the ‘keeper went wide. Soham forced a series of corners but Jamie Stannard eventually cleared with a punch in a melee of players. This was followed by more Soham pressure until the 17th min when Ricky Martin cut inside his fullback to put over a cross to an unmarked Dean Tournay-Godfrey who headed home past Greygoose.

The stunned crowd had hardly time to draw breath before Wanderers went further ahead. Clever play by Soham’s Furnell gave him room to shoot which Jamie Stannard saved with his legs and then gathered in Libam’s attempt from the rebound. The back in form Wanderers ‘keeper’s clearance kick was picked up by Lee Smith who powered into the Soham half, passed low to Paul Westren who back heeled into the path of Dean Tournay-Godfrey to give him an easy goal. It was all Wanderers, with Danny Smy finding room down the right and Lee Smith having the space to move up to link with midfield. A pass to Marc Lowe sent the no.8 to the byline, marshalled by Webster, and managed to get in a cross from which Dean Tournay-Godfrey stung Greygoose’s hands with his shot. The agile Soham ‘keeper then had to pam over Ricky Martin’s shot from Danny Smy’s corner.

On 35 mins, Wanderers got their 3rd through Rene Swann, who was outpacing the Soham defence time after time, this time overtaking Hill from 30 yds, and slotted home with little trouble.

Soham fought to regain their composure, with Libam being their most dangerous looking forward. Jamie Stannard watched an inventive overhead kick go wide  but then had to shepherd him to the byline after a mistake by Danny Smy allowed the Soham forward to break clean through the defence.

Ipswich Wanderers 3 Soham Town Rangers 0

Wanderers were playing like the team of old and came out to dominate the second half with Soham having no answer to the pace of Rene Swann, who was finding the service to him to be exemplary. On 50 mins, he slid in for a cross from Danny Smy but was denied by Greygoose and then the ‘keeper was pressured into tipping over the bar a Danny Smy shot. Great play by Libam set up Goodship but the effort was wasted with a shot that was blasted high and wide. Lee Smith charged through the Soham defence and his powerful shot zinged across face of the goal. Ricky Martin was showing all his skills with a tricky run from the half way line, but the ball would just not sit up for him to get a shot in. Then, on the hour, Rene Swann got in an overhead kick from Dean Tournay-Godfrey’s flick on. Danny Smy broke the offside trap but was thwarted by Greygoose and then Soham had a half chance at the other end as a defensive error let in Libam but Jamie Stannard smothered his hooked shot.

Rene Swann sealed the win on 74 mins with a well taken goal, after a long clearance was headed on by Simon Hyde into the path of his run.

Rene Swann was getting balls in from all angles, with Simon Hyde, Sean Bell, and Lee Smith, to name just three, all contributing to the attacking effort. It was a transformed performance from a Wanderers side that had looked lacklustre, devoid of enthusiasm and commitment in the previous games but was now bright, inventive and deadly. The 2nd round draw produced an away trip to South Midland League Div 1 side Brimsdown Rovers, scheduled for the 18th November.

Ipswich Wanderers 4 Soham Town Rangers 0