Staffordshire Senior Cup Rd 1
Tuesday 4th December 2018. After defeating Hanley Town in the Preliminary Round, Stone Old Alleynians entertained another team, a level above themselves, Sporting Khalsa, who are towards the top of the Midland League Premier Division.
Looking for revenge for suffering a FA Vase defeat earlier in the season, the Old Boys put on a superb display of football, especially in the first half and without 3 or 4 regular players as Luke Askey. Ollie Davies, Jimmy Lee and Matt Thomas were all injured or ill and missing or struggling on the bench with assistant manager Sam Hodgkinson also on the bench.
Stone took the game to Khalsa from the off and pegged the visitors back in their own half . Their efforts were rewarded after 17mins when Jake Vernon on the left cut back and whipped the ball in for Jack Tomlinson to flick the ball home, with goalkeeper Sam Arnold looking mesmerized.
Despite their control the hosts were indebted to keeper Adam Alcock, who came out to block Dan Westwood, keeping Stone ahead, after a misplaced pass led to him breaking clear. The miss was costly to Khalsa, as the Alleynians increased their lead soon after through the dangerous Michael Williams, back after international duty. Sam Wilson stole the ball in midfield, took the ball to the byline before cutting it back for Williams to slam the ball home. On 34mins Tomlinson got his second, to make it 3 at the interval. Dave Ablewhite, moved to midfield for this game, sent Wilson wide and his cross was converted by Tomkinson at the near post.
Half Time:- Stone Old Alleynians 3 – 0 Sporting Khalsa
As expected Sporting Khalsa came out after the interval with more urgency and pegged the Old Boys back but the back four of Will Byers, Ian Whalley, skipper Danny Heard and Richard Hall stood firm and they were still dangerous on the break. It was from one of these breaks that lead to Stone’s fourth. A 53min free kick, near the corner flag on the right, was sent in by Vernon to the far post for Tomlinson to out jump 2 defenders and plant the ball between post and crossbar for his second hat-trick in 4 days.
Khalsa quickly reduced the arrears when Westwood drove home, but any thoughts of a comeback didn’t materialize, as the Old Boys wound the clock down, although Khalsa should have scored another with a header straight at Alcock from a couple of yards.
Full Time:- Stone Old Alleynians 4 – 1 Sporting Khalsa
Stone OA: Alcock, Byers, Heard(c), Whalley, Hall, Blake(Pope), Ablewhite, Williams, Vernon (Lee), Wilson, Tomlinson.
Unused Subs: Thomas, Hodgkinson
