Buckland Athletic ‘good value’ for FA Vase victory

BUCKLAND Athletic were “good value for the victory” on Saturday, October 10, in the eyes of manager Matt Cusack as his side advanced in the FA Vase.

Following a well-balanced and end-to-end first half, the Yellows went flying out of the blocks after the break to prevail over Hamworthy Recreation in the first round proper.

It was the home team who made the brighter start, putting together a few tidy moves down the left flank.

Danny Frankum’s cheeky flick sent Jack Baxter on his way but his cross was connected with poorly by Kai Swann.

Frankum, Baxter and Isaac McCue continued to run the game, Baxter having a great chance of his own only for the flag to go up before Frankum’s ball in was met by Toby Pullman.

Pullman’s goal-bound effort looked sure to find the net but Hamworthy goalkeeper Shane Murphy made a quite brilliant save with his leg to deny Buckland the opener.

Going in the opposite direction, Hamworthy looked a very capable side, attacking with plenty of bodies and keeping the Bucks’ backline alert.

Mike Searle’s strong stop saw the ball fall right into the path of their number nine but it came at him quickly and he put it wide from close range.

Both sides then, had gone close to breaking the deadlock and Cusack’s team-talk at the turnaround must have been rousing with his players looking right at it for the second half.

Their lively response paid dividends when Pullman closed down and caught out a Hamworthy defender. The forward nicked it away from him before playing through Jack Baxter who took his time and then buried it in the bottom corner.

The visitors didn’t really know what hit them with Buckland firmly in the ascendancy now.

One Hamworthy man was shown a yellow for tripping Fin Herbert on the break and his teammate joined him in the book moments later for a dive.

Former Newton Abbot Spurs duo Pullman and Swann were both presented with decent looks at goal but they took too long, forfeiting the time and space needed to strike.

There were then loud calls from the majority of those in attendance at The VX3 Stadium when Baxter was shoved to the ground as he awaited a cross, to no avail.

Hamworthy’s attacking prowess wasn’t completely absent in the second half, Ben Carter blocking one chance off the line and Searle diving away to his right to tip another wide.

Talking of Searle and he nearly threw away his first clean sheet of the season as his kick was charged down, producing a dangerous cross and a subsequent corner.

Cusack turned to his bench and his first two introductions had differing impacts.

Jamie Simmonds was booked for a late, sliding tackle whilst Josiah McKayle replaced Baxter and made it 2-0 with “a goal worthy of securing any game.”

Carter battled away in the middle of the park to regain possession and following that, he sent it down the wing for McKayle to run onto.

Striding beyond and with no real support, the young centre-forward moved inside and let off an unwavering rocket into the far, top corner, prompting the delighted Buckland coaching staff to gallop along the touchline.

You will be waiting a while to see a strike as well hit as this one- what a way for McKayle to ensure his team’s place in the hat!

This buffer allowed Cusack to remove Carter and send on midfielder Frankie Jones for his second debut in yellow.

There was still time for one more poor tackle, leaving Pullman in a heap and procuring a third Hamworthy card.

Looking to see the game out, McCue took five corners short to Simmonds in quick succession. The latter hammered each of them into the approaching defenders with the celebratory roars from the crowd and his teammates growing time after time.

For the “delighted” Buckland manager, it was “Difficult to pick out a man of the match because it was the team and the squad on the day.

“To a man, I thought they were superb.”

At either end, McKayle and Searle are deserving of shoutouts for their match-winning contributions though.

The former “made his moment count more importantly and that’s what we ask of our substitutes, they’ve got to be at the ready, to go and impact the game.”

Meanwhile, the latter was “superb again” as he grasped that long-awaited clean sheet.

“It’s been a long time coming. I just said to the lads, try not to wait another 16 games because it’s certainly ageing us on the sidelines,” joked Cusack.

Not only are they in the draw for tomorrow (Monday 12) but fixtures continue to come thick and fast as they welcome Ivybridge Town to Homers Heath for a Devon derby on Wednesday, October 14.

Next weekend, the Bucks visit Wells City at The Athletic Ground, looking to do the double over them.