SEAHAM RED STAR v ALBION SPORTS

FA Vase 1^st Qualifying Round 

This week’s trip to the seaside is to Seaham on the Durham coast to see Red Star take on Albion Sports in the FA Vase first qualifying round. One of the attractions of the Vase (and Cup) is the inter-league ties thrown up; here the Northern Division 1 against the Northern Counties East Premier Division (both step five of the pyramid).

It has been a couple of years since A Good Cup Run was last at Seaham Town Park but the ground remains neat and tidy with a pleasant open aspect and its quirky blue-roofed pavilion-like clubhouse and changing rooms. The flat green pitch has small covered stands on each touchline where spectators can both sit or stand; behind the couple of steps of concrete perimeter terracing there are grassy verges and in places a fine laurel hedge.

Today started showery but the weather looks set fair for the game as the teams line up, Seaham appropriately in mainly red and the visitors from Bradford in yellow and blue. Both are mid-table in their leagues, Seaham top half against Albion’s bottom half, but the visitors are still in the FA Cup unlike their hosts who went out at the first hurdle.

Red Star get on top in the first half and put the Albion goal under threat with a header from Liam McBryde straight into Jake Lofthouse’s waiting arms, and a long range shot from Aaron Croft that the keeper chooses to punch clear despite the ball being at ankle level. McBryde’s next header is better placed and beats Lofthouse, but not the foot of the post, which it hits and stays out.

Albion’s efforts to get the ball forward are ineffective as the front three seem lightweight and can’t hold on to the ball. No goals at half time but advantage Red Star.

That advantage seems to dissipate over the interval. Red Star lose their rhythm and Albion are showing better form. Right winger Lamin Janneh who was in the full back’s pocket in the first half is suddenly producing danger. He works in off the wing to produce a shot that’s on target but deflected wide for a corner; the corner kick itself lands on the bar. Janneh then produces a great cross from the right that Alex Cusack volleys over from six yards out.

Red Star still have a share of the game and a killing right wing cross needs only the chest of McBryde to force it into the goal off the underside of the bar. The loss of a goal stuns Albion and they nearly lose another when Andy Johnston fires in a long range shot that Lofthouse does well to save. He saves a similar effort from Robbie Bird then tips an angled drive from the same player onto the angle of post and bar.

But it stays 1 – 0 into the last five minutes and Albion press hard, coming close when a shot from Cusack is deflected narrowly wide. They are leaving themselves exposed at the back though, and a long Seaham clearance gives substitute Ash Davis the chance to outmuscle his lone marker, race through on goal and beat the keeper with a cool finish.

That’s in the final scheduled minute making the added time less tense than it would have been and the game ends at two nil.

                       

The final score would have been a fair reflection of the first half, and though Albion played better in the second half they still had to rely overmuch on their goalkeeper. They can get back to the FA Cup next week but as far as the Vase is concerned, it is Seaham Red Star who progress.