STOWMARKET TOWN 2 IPSWICH WANDERERS 2

FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND

SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST 2005

Rene Swann and Ricky Martin were given their first starts of the season and Chris Tracey returned from injury. Jamie Baker, Dean Tournay-Godfrey and Jason Dozzell gave up their places. This FA Cup tie should have been an easy hurdle for Wanderers to overcome, given the professional performances of the league games so far, but it turned out to be anything but, with Stowmarket in determined mood and a lacklustre performance from Wanderers.

Stowmarket set out their stall early on when their first two attacks caused panic with Jamie Stannard spilling the ball when dealing with a cross and then having to drop smartly on to another to save at the feet of Cracknell. Stowmarket continued to have most of the game and on 14 mins Taylor-Holt sent over a free kick which Jamie Stannard did well to punch from the head of ex-Wanderer Danny Smy. Then, after 16mins, Mark Goldfinch lost the ball 30 yds out to Taylor-Holt who crossed to Cracknell but his volley was easily saved.

Stowmarket opened the scoring on 18 mins when Brill collected the ball of the left corner of the penalty area and shot into the far corner of the goal with Jamie Stannard at full stretch. Wanderers had their first serious attempt on goal on 26 mins when Ricky Martin sent over a cross from the left to the back post and Rene Swann could have done better with his header when unmarked. Back came Stowmarket and a defensive error by Chris Tracey allowed Taylor-Holt to shoot.

The half ended with Wanderers in attack, Alan Mills crossing for Marc Lowe to head goalward from the edge of the 6yd box which Daniels parried and from the corner Alan Mills’ shot was well saved. This was almost as much as Daniels, in the Stowmarket goal, had to do in the first half whereas Jamie Stannard, at the other end, was continuously occupied.

Stowmarket Town 1 Ipswich Wanderers 0

Dean Tournay-Godfrey came on at the start of the 2nd half to replace a limping Keith Hetherington and within 4 mins he had to be replaced himself after being flattened at his first touch of the ball. Jorrell Hurd was his replacement but Rene Swann was looking somewhat isolated up front, with only an advancing David Grimwood for company. However, the new lineup did not take long to have an effect as on 53 mins Terry Layton released Rene Swann down the right and his curling cross was met by the head of Ricky Martin and Daniels stood no chance of getting a hand to it. 3 mins later, David Grimwood tiptoed through the defence, rounded the ‘keeper and shot into an empty net. These were two beacons of magic in an otherwise murky afternoon for Wanderers but the euphoria did not last long as, almost immediately Stowmarket equalised through a powerful shot from Smythe after the defence failed to stop his run through from midfield.

The pace of the game increased as each side could sense a winner. Carr and Hart, for Stowmarket, did an effective job in muting Rene Swann and Jorrell Hurd tried some of his trickiness down the right and mainly got the better of Brill. At the other end Platt’s shot was parried and fell to Cracknell who shot into the side netting and then Brill’s cross was put wide by Platt when he should have done better. David Grimwood’s run into the area ended with him losing the ball, but it ran to Rene Swann and his volley was just over the bar. Hen Marc Lowe’s header was saved from Jorrell Hurd’s cross. On 88mins, Bradley barber’s free kick was floated over the defence and Marc Lowe headed it onto the top of the bar. In the last minute of normal time Stowmarket had what they thought was a genuine call for a penalty turned down when substitute Henry was upended by Jamie Stannard in the area as they jostled for the ball, but Henry got up immediately and the referee waved play on.

A few minutes of added time were played in the acceptance of a replay being necessary and a hard fought game ended with honours even but Stowmarket perhaps feeling that they could have come out the victors.

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