HARWICH & PARKESTON 0
WOODFORD UNITED 0
15th September 2007

 

With so much at stake both teams looked unwilling to commit the midfield into the last third, in what turned out, a tight fought first-half. An off the ball incident between Paul Lamb and Lee Race ( and half the Woodford bench ) in the 30^th minute resulted in both receiving yellow cards and sparked a lively end to the half. Goodhall finally timed one of his pacey runs to perfection catching out the Harwich back four, but at the end of his exhaustive run placed his shot just wide. With two minutes remaining, Ross Hawkins snap shot through the Harwich defence brought an acrobatic save from Wooton. On the stroke of half-time it was the turn of Harwich to press forward, Underwood pouncing on a poor defensive header but was unable to direct his shot on target.
Woodford started the second half the stronger, Goodhall and Lamb a constant thorn in the side of the Harwich defence and were unlucky on more than one occasion not to take the lead for the Midlands Division 1 side. For the large part Harwich seemed devoid of ideas on how to break down a very physical Woodford back four. Cue 80 minutes, in true FA Cup tradition the game sprung to life, urged on by a partisan crowd Harwich pushed forward in numbers, Jimmy Chatters going agonisingly close following a jinxing run from the left. Then it was the turn of Calver to hold his head in his hands as a Townes cross flashed across his path with the goal beckoning. With the final whistle overdue, Lazurus looked as though he may just steal the show for Woodford but for a timely intervention by Lee Race blocking the shot in-front of goal