Report
An injury-hit Leyton Pennant side were hammered 4-0 by Arlesey Town in the first round of the FA Carlsberg Vase.
The Lilywhites had only 11 players fit for the ill-tempered game at New Lamb Meadow in which 11 players were booked and one sent off.
Ryman League division three outfit Arlesey created the first real chance of the game when Lee Tekell hit the crossbar on 16 minutes. Three minutes later Jamie Richards’ shot flew just over.
The turning point of the game came in the 28th minute when Tony Marsh received his marching orders for a second yellow card.
Arlesey keeper Martyn Patching threw a punch at Richards just before the interval but the referee brandished only a yellow card.
The second half started brightly for Pennant but a 55th minute Arlesey counter attack saw Lee Broughton head home.
The home side took control of the game as Pennant tired. On 62 minutes Tony Fontenelle broke down the right and crossed for Lee Kitson to fire in Arlesey’s second.
Broughton scored his second to put Arlesey 3-0 ahead in the 68th minute before Fontenelle grabbed the fourth in stoppage time.
‘You can talk about the referee all you like,’ said manager Martin Busson. ‘But we have to look at our performance and what we did wrong. We created some chances but we were a man short and we got tired.’