An extra time winner from Sean Hillier saw FC Clacton labour to a win (just for you Homer!) as they squeaked past Cornard 1-0 to advance to the First Round proper of the FA Vase. Clacton had gone into the game as favourites with their opponents occupying the lower reaches of the Ridgeons First Division but they were made to fight all the way by a determined Cornard effort.

On a sunny late autumn afternoon the conditions were perfect for football but, unfortunately, the game lacked much fluidity which did not make it the most pleasing spectacle on the eye with the keepers on both sides rarely called into meaningful action.

There was also drama before the game even started as the assigned referee had to call off due to a family illness. This left us an official short and Baz running around even more than normal on a matchday trying to find a replacement. One of the linesmen took on refereeing duties and (grudging) hero of the hour Nathan Smith stepped in to run the line, which he did with aplomb, despite at one point complaining that he couldn’t distinguish between the Clacton subs sitting in the dugout and the players running around on the pitch! (Sorry Nath, you had a blinder really!)

Clacton nearly took the lead after sixteen minutes when Cornard did not cut out a punt forward allowing Josh Grimes to nip in behind the defence and round goalkeeper Barry Lynn. The striker was pushed wide in the process and did well to slide the ball goalwards from a narrow angle but was denied by Dean McEwan getting back to clear off his own goalline.

Cornard created their best chance of the half after half an hour. Clacton’s defence dilly-dallied on the ball allowing former Clacton man Louie Newland to steal the ball and his shot was deflected over. The resulting corner saw a goalmouth scramble which eventually saw Liam Close head wide from very close range.

The early stages of the second half saw few chances but midway through the half a long throw was flicked on but Hillier, on as a substitute, was unable to bundle the ball home at the far post.

From this point on Cornard really began to grow in belief that they could cause an upset and Clacton had to survive some late scares as first Close fired over from twenty yards and then, with seven minutes left, Joe Playle brilliantly denied Blake Panrucker with a reflex save to his right following the defenders flicked header from a free kick.

Clacton thought their own chance to win the tie in normal time with five minutes remaining as Matt Waters, surging in from the right, beat two men to go clean through but his shot over the advancing Lynn was just a whisker wide.

With scores level after 90 minutes the game went to extra time and it was Cornard again who maintained the early ascendancy. Playle had to bundle away an awkward free kick that bounced just in front of him and then Newland missed a glorious chance as he headed over from just eight yards out.

Clacton had their best spell of pressure at the end of the first period of extra time as first Tom Austin was denied from close range by the legs of Lynn with Hillier putting the rebound wide and then Lee Peacock fired over from fifteen yards.

However right at the end of the first period they did break the deadlock as Kevin Coyle cut in from the left and hit a shot that Lynn could only parry to the right of his area. Coyle, following up, turned the ball back towards goal and Hillier, with a poacher’s instinct, was on hand to tuck home from six yards.

With both teams tiring Cornard rarely looked like getting an equaliser in the second period of extra time and Clacton were relieved to hear the final whistle that would mean they advance to a home tie against Whitton United on 22^nd October.