Thurlow Nunn Premier Stanway Rovers 2 Felixstowe and Walton United 0 I doubt anyone could argue that Stanway have the evil eye on the Seasiders this season as they saw off the title chasers for the third time.
Felixstowe, with one of the meanest defences at step five in the football pyramid, went down at the Hawthorns in a fiercely contested encounter to leave them with a 2-7 aggregate from two league and one league cup meetings this season.
The home side’s average gate was more than doubled by the Seasiders growing band of supporters with over 80 deciding on a Friday night out in Essex, sadly their side went home empty handed and couldn’t have too many complaints about the result as their attacking force was blunted by a resolute home defence clearly rising to the occasion.
There was a surprise in the visitors’ line-up with ex-Ipswich, Torquay and latterly Leiston midfielder Stuart Boardley named as one of the subs, making a cameo appearance for the last 13 minutes of the game having signed initially until the end of the season.
The home side were ahead after just ten minutes when Tyler Kemp’s long throw into the visitor’s area was headed away at the near post by Rhys Barber, but there was little power behind Barber’s effort and it fell kindly to Shamido Pedulu near the penalty spot, and he lashed it past Crump with a right footed volley.
Adam Reakes was fortunate to get away with a lecture after bringing down Nick Ingram on the edge of the area but the visitors’ forays into the Stanway penalty area were few and far between in a first half dominated by the home side.
Felixstowe were level in the 56th minute with Craig Jennings converting a penalty after Bennett had been clumsily upended in the area but seven minutes later the home side’s stand out player, Tanner Call, turned in the area to volley his side back in front.
The visitors huffed and puffed but rarely looked likely to recover with a curling free kick from substitute Stuart Ainsley that Nick Punter had to punch clear, the closest they came to a second equaliser.
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