VCD Athletic 2-5 Walthamstow

Walthamstow picked up their first win of the season and progressed to the third round of the Isthmian League Cup after beating VCD Athletic 5-2.

Stow started the better side and went 1-0 up in the first five minutes. A handball in the box following a Te Wihongi corner gave the referee no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Tyrone Baker was the man to step up and fire the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to give the blues the first goal of the afternoon.

Stow were on the front foot and looking for their second through Rasheed Salau, who got past the defender with some great skill, but his shot was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Frankie Leonard.

Five minutes later, Stow got their second. Jordan Peart got past right back Alfred Evans with ease and sent the ball into the path of Salau who dummied it and left it for Baker to hammer home.

Baker was creating problems for the VCD defence and whipped a ball into the back post to Brian Garzon who brought it down and smashed the ball into the side netting.

Garzon would get his goal eventually in the 34th minute and extend Stow’s lead. A horrible mistake from the VCD keeper gave the midfielder an empty net to get his first goal in Stow colours.

Stow would continue to knock on the door in search of a 4th which they nearly did through Garzon. An attempted clearance from VCD fell for Garzon who rifled the ball against the crossbar and was eventually cleared away.

Ten minutes into the second half, the blues got their 4th goal of the afternoon. Baker did really well to regain possession and played a lovely through ball into Salau who calmly slotted home past an on-rushing Frankie Leonard.

The hosts would get a goal back through Richard Pingling through minutes later. The ball fell for the attacker on the edge of the box who placed it into the far corner past David Hughes, despite Stow’s appeals for a foul on Joe Elliott in the lead-up to the goal.

But Stow were not slowing down at all and proceeded to cause more trouble for the VCD defence. Gassem Benelghazi played a lovely ball over the top for Baker who volleyed the ball straight at the keeper.

VCD got another goal back through substitute Yassin Fares, in a similar manner to their first. Pinball in the box was only cleared away as far as the substitute who slotted home and boosted the chances of a comeback for the hosts.

That only lasted for a minute as Stow got their 5th goal and secured the win. Ekow Coker latched onto a back pass headed towards keeper Frankie Leonard who cleared out Coker giving Stow another penalty. Baker sealed his hattrick placing the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Into injury time and VCD were reduced to 10 men with substitute Nathaniel Olawole being shown a straight red card for a scrap with Stow captain Elliott.

Stow return to Wadham Lodge on Saturday to take on Downham Town in the FA Trophy.