The Dragons had won three games to reach this stage of the competition but the game against Maldon & Tiptree would be by far Wivenhoe's most challenging of the season. The home side were top of the Step 4 Isthmian North League and had started the season with 13 successive wins in all competitions.
The first period saw Maldon and Tiptree take a one nil lead into half time. A curled shot on 24 minutes was send into the right hand corner of the net. The first half also saw George Hart limp off with what appeared to be a recurrence of the hamstring injury that had kept it out of the last three games.
The second period saw Maldon score three more in the first fifteen minutes before Connor Smith got one back for Wivenhoe on 64 minutes. His shot from inside the area forcing its way into the net through a couple of bodies.
It stayed 4 - 1 until the last ten minutes when the home side added three more including a penalty.
Having started the competition with a 7 - 1 win against Step 6 opposition, the Dragons had ended it losing 7 - 1 to Step 4 opposition.