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The road to Wembley ended almost as soon as it began for AFC Wallingford as they went down 4-0 to their United Counties league hosts Buckingham Town.
Good Wallingford possession in the first half made it difficult for the home side. Chances fell to Matt Leach and Tom Hammond but neither was able to unsettle McAdo in the Buckingham goal. Buckingham Town began to find their rhythm and Paolo Di Pasquale was needed to clear off the Wallingford line with keeper Garry Clark beaten. A few short minutes just after the half hour changed the whole shape of the game. Barry Primmer went down with what looked at first to be a serious knee injury. After a long period of treatment on the pitch, he made his way off under his own steam. A few minutes later he was back on but he looked wary of stressing the damaged knee from then on. A few minutes later fellow veteran Antony Hill pulled up with what appeared to be hamstring damage. After coach Charlie Allum tried once more to work his magic with cold spray and bandage Hill attempted to return but to no avail. Unfortunately at this moment the home side opened the scoring. McCormack got onto the end of a cross from the right for a simple score with Hill struggling valiantly but unable to close the attacker down. Hill departed at this point, Primmer moved into the centre of defence, and Wallingford never looked the same again. Having looked a little unlucky to go in to half time one behind, Wallingford came under increasing pressure as the second half progressed. Buckingham captain Hart made it 2-0 on 52 minutes with a well-taken header. The game became increasingly fractious as it moved into the last 20 minutes. For some reason it was the home side who were getting frustrated and some choice words were directed at the referee. However, after three yellows for Buckingham, it was Wallingford’s Andrew Gibbons who finally pushed the referee too far and swore his way to a sending off. In the next two minutes, Buckingham netted twice more through Mills and McCormack with his second. Once again Wallingford settled the ship with Primmer roaring instructions to his teammates from the back. Close to the end Buckingham should have made it five. Substitute Reuben Max-Grant had already tripped over the ball twice when virtually through. Nothing could match the majestic way he scooped the ball over the bar from a yard out with keeper Clark beaten. The home crowd entertained themselves for the last few minutes with a gleeful chant of “get him off!” AFC Wallingford: Garry Clark, Adam Summers, Johnny Hammond, Antony Hill (Capt., Richard Eyres 37), Chris Allum, Matt Finch, Barry Primmer, Paolo Di Pasquale, Tom Hammond, Andrew Gibbons, Matthew Leach (Nathan Hill 74). Saturday 20th September. Mark Hoskins – AFC Wallingford Overseas Correspondent |
