Brentwood Sport
Southend Manor 0 Brentwood Town 4
2:47pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
BRENTWOOD visited Southchurch Park for this Preliminary Round FA Cup tie against Essex Senior League side Southend Manor.
Blues took the initiative from the start and the difference between the two levels was clear to see.
The visitors virtually camped in the Manor half for long periods during the first half, but the home side had their moments too.
On ten minutes, Blues’ Ellis Remy saw his headed effort flicked over the crossbar by Manor’s keeper. Five minutes later it was Remy, again, going close, this time seeing his hopeful chip being comfortably caught on the line.
A minute later Dee Okojie’s 25-yard shot came back off the crossbar and, with wide players Okojie and Joao Carlos dominating down the wings, it was no surprise when Anthony Ryan was played through and guided his pass into the corner of the Manor goal to open the scoring.
On 27 minutes, Blues’ Ross Parmenter played an excellent ball through to Carlos for a one-on-one with Southend’s keeper, but his progress was interrupted by an assistant referee’s flag Ryan then squandered a good opportunity when a good move down the right flank resulted in the ball being cut back, but he scuffed the opportunity.
Carlos then shot just wide of target in the 37th minute.
A minute before the break, Nick Muir fed through Remy and the striker coolly side-footed to double the lead.
The home side had an opportunity just before the half-time whistle, but the effort cleared the cross bar and the two-goal lead going into the break probably flattered the home side a little.
After the break, Manor came out bravely looking to reduce the deficit.
A mix-up from a Blues free-kick on 52 minutes gave the home side a good opportunity of clawing their way into the game.
The visitors’ Reiss Noel placed the ball ten yards outside his own penalty area in preparation for the dead ball kick and then tapped the ball forward either to a team mate for a short free-kick or to gain a one yard advantage.
Manor’s alert forward latched on to the ball, ran through unchallenged and looked certain to punish Blues for their lapse, only to see Blues keeper Andy Hall quickly off his line to block the effort with his legs.
However, on 64 minutes, Ryan crossed from the right and the ball seemed to clear Remy, ending up in the back of the Manor goal to put the tie beyond Southend.
On 74 minutes it was Remy, with his second of the game, whose effort looped over Manor’s ‘keeper to increase Blues’ lead to four goals.
A minute later, Remy could have sealed his hat-trick with an acrobatic overhead effort that was well blocked by the Manor defence.
Blues now face Aylesbury United in the first qualifying round of this competition, at home on Saturday, September 11.
Brentwood Town: Andy Hall, Ryan Doyle, Dean Pennant, Reiss Noel, Nikki Beale, Ross Parmenter, Dee Okojie, Nick Muir, Ellis Remy (Jack Gardner 77), Anthony Ryan (Petrit Elbi 71), Joao Carlos (Nathan Fletcher 71), Subs not used: Danny Dafter, Joe Stevens, James Oates, Nicky Pyne.
Forthcoming fixtures: Saturday, September 4 – Ryman Division One North – Cheshunt (away) 3pm kick-off.
Tuesday, September 7 – Ryman Division One North – East Thurrock Utd (home) 7.45pm kick off.