Report
Neither the long trip to Suffolk nor the treacherous playing conditions could stop Stow picking up a fourth win on the bounce, beating Mildenhall Town 2-0.
The two sides had met only twice before; the first meeting was some 23 years ago in an infamous FA Vase tie. On that day, Walthamstow (then playing as Leyton Pennant) lost three players through injury during the game as Mildenhall progressed to the fourth round. This time around, it was Hall who would be ruing their luck.
Hall were forced into a late change just before kick off, and the game was only nine minutes old when right back Alfie Connor limped off, being replaced by Jake Chambers-Shaw.
This change opened-up the right-hand side of the Hall defence, a hole they would not be able to plug all game. Walthamstow thought they had taken the lead when Bilal Sayoud crossed from that very side to Tayo Oyebola who nodded home, but the celebrations were short-lived as Oyebola was penalised for a push on Johnny Heard.
Hall also had the ball in the back of the net in the first half, but their effort too was ruled out, with the whistle blown long-before an effort from distance found the bottom corner.
All of Stow’s positive play was coming down their left, with Jordan Peart and Sayoud combining well. The former picked out Oyebola in the box who blazed over from six yards, just before Louie Johnson lashed a shot wide.
As half time came and went, the rain turned to snow. But the worsening conditions did little to change the course of the game. Stow, now with the significant slope in their favour, began to create chance after chance.
Sayoud had two good chances, but his finishing evaded him, as did Callum Ibe‘s decision making; Stow’s captain guilty of firing at goal when Sayoud and Oyebola were better placed about him.
The home side were being limited to long-range efforts, which Finn Rushton in the Stow goal dealt with comfortably despite the slippy conditions.
Mildenhall’s centre-back pairing of Joshua Collins and Jonathan Kaye dealt brilliantly with everything coming their way in the air, but couldn’t do anything about the chasm in front of them. They were offered no protection from their midfield, and as the half went on, Stow broke through the thirds, seemingly at will.
Stow finally broke the deadlock with a quarter of an hour to go. Sayoud’s cross was spilled by Hall keeper Josh Pope under pressure from man of the match Rasheed Salau, and despite the valiant efforts of the Mildenhall defenders to hack the ball clear, it eventually fell to Oyebola who poked home into an empty net.
The game was settled nine minutes later. Jared Small was given far too much space outside the Hall penalty area, but it looked like an opportunity wasted when he scuffed his long-range effort. However, fortune was on Stow’s side as the ball fell straight to the feet of Johnson who quickly turned and fired into the bottom corner. Hall’s defence all appealed for offside, but were told that there were at least three defenders playing Johnson onside.
Stow continued to look threatening on the break, but the score remained at two. Vinny Murphy’s men will now host top of the table Felixstowe & Walton United at Wadham Lodge.