Firth double send Vickers into top six (From News Shopper)

Firth double send Vickers into top six

1:53pm Sunday 4th April 2010 in Non-League By Jeff Perkins

Despite being without Kevin Watson and with suspensions to Gary Cook and Jason Dolby, VCD chalked off their 18th win of their debut season in the Isthmian thanks to an Aaron Firth Brace.

This was Athletic’s 4th win in their last 5 games, the only defeat in that run coming against champions-elect Lowestoft.

In a game of many chances the scoreline was surprisingly low for the day as the hoops spurned many chances and Ilford also missed some very good chances on the counter attack.

It was the goalscorer Firth who missed the majority of chances in the first half with at least four very good chances going begging for the normally prolific striker.

Inside the first 10 minutes, following some fine interplay between Ward, Ibemere and Penny the ball was fed to Firth in the box who slipped the ball past his marker but his touch was heavy and keeper Rob Budd smothered the ball.

Only minutes later Ibemere and Barton combined well and the ball was delivered across the box following a scramble and Firth’s toe-poke went just wide of the post.

At the other end Ilford’s Tom Nyama broke free and should have scored from inside the box but his side foot shot went inches wide of the upright.

Firth was at it again when impressive full back Jack Asbury latched onto a perfect pass from Ward and crossed low into the box where an Ilford defender missed his clearance and Firth controlled before shooting straight at Budd.

The best chance of all fell to that man Firth again as Jack Asbury released him behind the back four who were playing a dangerously high line and with only the keeper to beat his sliced shot went wide of the goal.

Ilford continued to threaten on the counter attack with Victor Omogbehin threatening with some tricky play with one effort going just wide.

The same player sent in an x-rated waist high challenge on left back Jason Barton and was very lucky to escape with just a yellow card.

Only minutes later around the half hour mark centre forward Derek Hawtin pushed Barton to the ground off the ball and was sent off for aggressive behaviour with the left back also booked for some reason.

On 36 minutes the inevitable breakthrough came and it was Firth who finally got his lines right springing the offside trap again getting on the end of a fine pass from Anthony Hogg.

Firth found himself through one on one and shifted the ball from his right foot to his left and fired the ball high into the top left hand corner past the stranded Budd.

Vicker’s impressive captain Danny Penny was fouled just outside the box only minutes later and his quickly taken free kick was well saved by Budd to keep the score 1-0 at half-time.

The second half was more of the same with the Vickers enjoying the majority of the play and possession, spurning good chances and then Ilford looking to attack on the counter with Omogbehin and Gavin Taylor both catching the eye with tireless and pacy front running.

The front pair of Uche Ibemere and captain Penny were subjected to some rough treatment from Ilford’s back four and Penny was crunched by centre back Richard Simpson forcing the forward to receive treatment for some time off the pitch.

Simpson was booked for the challenge and from the resulting free kick Hogg’s left foot drive went wide of the target.

Top scorer Nick Hegley was introduced just past the hour mark for Hogg who was on a yellow card and soon after Reece Walsh came on for Penny who was still struggling following the earlier challenge.

On 70 minutes the game was effectively over when Firth and Ibemere both sprung the offside trap with the former retrieving a Winchcombe through ball and again finding himself through one on one.

Firth slotted home coolly with a right foot effort this time with the ball going in off the post.

Both Vickers substitutes were involved in a neat passing move with Winchcombe feeding the ball to Walsh who controlled and fed inside to Hegley who attempted to lob the keeper from outside the box but his effort went just wide.

At the other end Nyama spurned another chance for the visitors as his effort went wide of Tedder’s goal.

The visitors, to their credit, kept plugging away and Omogbehin crossed to find substitute Adejokum at the far post who sent a header towards goal which Tedder saved comfortably.

The best chance of the half fell to Vicker’s third substitute Tom Bradshaw who had been introduced for the two goal hero Firth making it a trio of seventeen year olds on the pitch alongside two nineteen year olds in a youthful looking Vickers side.

Ibemere forced an error out of Simpson and raced forward before feeding the ball to Bradshaw who took one touch before side footing past Budd missing the target by only a matter of inches.

With back to back victories both at home and away either side of the Lowestoft game this win pushes the Vickers up in 6th place, their second highest position all season with only four games of the campaign remaining.

VCD Line up J Tedder, Asbury, Barton, Hogg (Hegley 62 mins), Mitchell, Hunt, Ward, Firth (Bradshaw 80 mins), Penny (Walsh 64 mins), Ibemere, Winchcombe

Subs not used O’Shea and Foley