Dragons advance into next round

Match ball sponsored by Bennetts Decorators.

Having beaten Essex Senior League high flyers Takeley in the Previous round, the Blackstone Stadium played host to their Essex Senior League Uttlesford neighbors Stansted in the Second Round. The Dragons once again made several changes from the weekend’s disappointing FA Vase defeat. Matt Coppen and Connor Smith were back in the center of defense, Tom Lakin and George Hart were also back into the starting eleven.

The first good chance for Wivenhoe saw George Hart flicks it into the path of Ross James putting him through on goal, but the Stansted keeper did well to quickly to close down block the shot away. Ross James then came close to scoring again when from outside the area he hit a powerful swerving shot which crashed off the the top of the cross bar with the keeper well beaten.
Wivenhoe’s early dominance payed dividends when a corner was swung to the back post where it was met by Matt Coppen who forced the ball home through two defenders to give Wivenhoe the lead with his firs goal for the club.

Stansted equalised with their best passage of first half play. Stansted’s left back rode two challenges in his own half to set up a swift passing move which eventually saw the visitors side foot home a pull back into the Wivenhoe area.

Wivenhoe had further chances in the first half as Tom Lakin shot over from a Ross James shot and then Dean Merrett shot straight at the keeper on the turn from another cross. At the other end Gallifant does well to block a chance away.

In the second half, chances were at a premium, but it was Wivenhoe who took the lead. A cross from the right saw the keeper palm the ball out. It went as far as Dean Merrett who was once again well placed to head into an unguarded net and give Wivenhoe the lead against their higher division opposition.
The Dragons were largely untroubled for the rest of the rest of the half with Stansted creating just one very good opportunity which saw an attacker played through on goal, it required a very good save from Ben Gallifant to keep the Dragons in front.
In stoppage time, a late Stansted freekick on the edge of the area was hit on target but Ben Gallifant was more than equal to the effort and able to gather the ball to confirm another Wivenhoe cup win against a Step 5 team.
After the disappointing defeat at the weekend, this was another very good cup win for Wivenhoe against higher division opposition. It put them in the hat for the third round draw with the potential of playing teams from the Football League.