Ipswich Wanderers’ fantastic season of cup exploits continued on Saturday as they moved into the Second Round of the FA Vase with a narrow win over Cockfosters.
Craig Jennings’ 13th-minute strike was enough for the Suffolk side to progress into today’s draw and, with their impressive cup pedigree this season, you wouldn’t bet against Glenn Read’s side progressing further in the competition.
Two Wanderers players in particular, David Head and Shane Wardley, displayed the kind of know-how required to progress through the rounds, while Jennings made no mistake when presented with his chance, against a side that squandered a number of goalscoring opportunities.
In Head and Wardley’s case, they have progressed all the way to the final with AFC Sudbury previously.
A veteran of three Vase finals, Head’s invaluable experience in a young and exciting side, shone through on Saturday.
However, it could have been a lot different had his early defensive header, which allowed Stuart Blackburne a sight of goal, been despatched. Thankfully for Wanderers, the striker blazed over.
Blackburne didn’t have his shooting boots on but Jennings did, as his sweetly struck 13th-minute winner testified.
Twisting and turning beyond his marker, the striker beautifully curled his shot into the bottom corner.
The same player was unlucky to see another effort, 12 minutes later, blocked after a flowing move involving Wardley, Luke Read, and Ross Myhill.
Cockfosters grew into the half, and twice, Blackburne spurned golden opportunities.
Eighteen-year-old Wanderers stopper Jack Spurling enjoyed an excellent game in between the sticks, and twice the youngster came flying out to deny the increasingly-frustrated striker.
Whereas the first half was quiet, the second was a much more livelier affair.
With the 101-strong crowd barely back in their positions for the second period, Wanderers’ Danny Holland saw his free-kick somehow cleared off the goal-line.
At the other end, more was to come from that man Blackburne in the 52nd minute as he missed the easiest chance of the lot – clearing the bar with a chipped effort, despite having just Spurling to beat.
The London side continued to up the ante and Adem Ali started to run the show, but the alert Spurling thwarted him on no fewer than four occasions.
Keen to avoid an equaliser that would have seen them travel to Cockfosters tomorrow night in a replay, Wanderers held on to record an impressive win, and keep that cup momentum going.
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