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Edgware's FA Vase dream faded
and died with a disappointingly inadequate performance in Tuesday's
fourth round replay against Sussex County League leaders Whitehawk,
writes John Comfort.
A home draw against Midlands Alliance League club Quorn was up for grabs
in the fifth round but the Wares simply blew their big chance, with a
28th minute goal from the visitors being sufficient to claim the prize.
Edgware made a sluggish start and struggled to get their act together,
which allowed Whitehawk to gain early ascendancy. There were a couple of
scares for the home side as first Toby Phillips and then Ryan McBride
put free headers wide of Rob Blackburne's goal.
It was some 20 minutes before Edgware carved out their first effort at
goal, Paul Marks and Adam Wallace being involved in the build up, which
culminated in Gavin Hart cutting in from the right for a shot which
Whitehawk's giant keeper Ross Standon dived to turn away for a corner.
Soon after a firmly struck cross from Marks found Stuart Blackburne
unmarked at the far post but his reactions were poor and a misguided
header went across the face of goal and out wide.
Having allowed Whitehawk their early chances, one would have expected
Edgware to heed the warning signs. Sadly, they did not and, when James
Bentley put over a near-post corner in the 28th minute, the unmarked
Gareth Green headed past Rob Blackburne's flapping effort to save and
the visitors were in front.
Stunned Edgware committed a similar error just minutes later, allowing
Gareth Martin an unchallenged header which went just over the bar, but
the home side managed to reach the break with no further disasters,
while their only real threat to the Whitehawk goal came after a surging
run from Phil Kane, which ended with a shot into the side netting.
Edgware looked more up for the fight after the break, and they pressed
for much of the second half. But they struggled to break down a sound
Whitehawk defence, and got little assistance with the decisions of a
particularly poor referee.
Richard Morton appeared to be the home side's best hope of salvation. He
had one deceptive 25-yarder fumbled by Standon, with no teammate on hand
to take advantage, and when another effort took a deflection off a
defender and left Wallace in possession just 10 yards out, the big
striker fired woefully weakly at the keeper.
Wallace had a close range effort blocked after a good run and cross from
Stephen Brady, but the closest Edgware came to an equaliser was in the
79th minute when a blockbuster from Morton was heading for the top
corner of the net until Standon flung himself to his left to brilliantly
tip it over the bar.
When Morton had a header from a corner cleared in the goalmouth late on,
the end of Edgware's dream was in sight, along with their proud 16-match
unbeaten run, which stretched back to October.
And not even the addition of seven minutes of stoppage time - most of it
for blatant, unpunished, time wasting by the visitors - could save the
runaway Spartan League leaders from going out of the competition.
Edgware: R Blackburne, Hayden (Brady), Kane, Smith, Fernee,
Gardner, Marks, Morton, S Blackburne (Cain), Wallace, Hart (Killick).
Other subs: Rispoli, Bonfield.
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