Walthamstow 5-3 Leighton Town
Walthamstow secured their place in the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy with an clinical 5-3 win against Southern League Division One Central side Leighton Town.
The visitors were the ones who started on the front foot, with an opportunity eight minutes in. Goalkeeper David Hughes picked up the ball from an on-rushing Sydney Ibie, but his throw only reached Leighton captain Luke Pyman who drove into the box and laid the ball off for Godlove Oppong who’s shot was tipped over the bar by Hughes.
Stow had chances of their own when Pique Humble played substitute Tyrone Baker down the right flank who crossed the ball to the back post to Pedro Carvalho but his shot was blocked by Pyman.
Leighton came eagerly close to taking the lead when a free kick floated in was headed by Samuel McClelland off the post and into the hands of Hughes.
Straight after, Stow took the lead up the other end. A long ball forward from Joe Elliott was brought down by Callum Ibe who went one on one with goalkeeper Henry Blackledge and slotted it home for the opener with just one minute until the break.
The quiet first half was no indication of the chaos which would occur in the second. Stow were the ones to strike first. Elliott’s long throw in found Ekow Coker in the six yard box who headed in for the second goal of the afternoon.
Stow were really on the front foot and could have got their third just a minute later. Charlie Pattison’s back pass was pounced onto by Baker who sent Ibe through on goal but he smashed the ball against the post and was then cleared away.
Leighton would get a goal back through Godlove Oppong. Substitute Samuel King played a through ball to the striker who placed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
On the 62nd minute, Stow regained their two-goal advantage through Tyrone Baker. Skipper Reece Conway received the ball from Ibe and lightly touched it into the path of Baker who got past his man and found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Just five minutes later and the visitors got another goal back. Kyal Williams played through Oppong who went around Hughes and fired home into an empty net bringing Leighton back within one.
That would only last another five minutes when Ibe got his second goal of the afternoon and Stow’s fourth. A poor clearance from Leighton’s Ben Farrell bounced off Humble who squared the ball into the path of Ibe who scored squeezing it past two defenders.
Into the third minute out of eight in added time, Leighton could have made things nervy for Stow, scoring their third to bring them back to within one goal. Jack Sayell’s through ball found frontman Sydney Ibie who cut back inside and fired the ball in at Hughes’ front post.
The home supporters’ nerves started to kick in as Leighton kept pushing for the equaliser with shouts of a penalty waved away by the referee. But Stow blew a huge sigh of relief as they sealed their place in the next round in the 99th minute. Brian Garzon’s ball found Carvalho out on the right-hand side, but with shouts from the crowd to head for the corner, Carvalho played substitute Gassem Benelghazi through on goal and he fired the ball under the goalkeeper to secure the victory.
Walthamstow will find out their opponents for the Third Qualifying Round on Monday, and travel away to Witham Town on Tuesday.
