Frustrations boil over as Windsor & Eton exit FA Vase at home to VCD Athletic

VCD players celebrate Kia Boylan’s own goal. Photo: Richard Milam

--

Windsor & Eton 0, VCD Athletic 2

Windsor & Eton’s progress in this season’s FA Vase was brought to an end in controversial - and somewhat ugly – circumstances by VCD Athletic on Saturday.

Having played VCD Athletic off the park in the first half of their third-round clash at Oakwood last week, only to see the game abandoned in the second half due to a serious injury to one of the home side’s players.

Winning 3-0 away from home against higher level, step 5, opponents last week, Matty Angell’s side had one foot in the next round of the competition.

However, the game was abandoned and replayed at Stag Meadow on Saturday, and on this occasion VCD prevailed 2-0 in a game that saw Windsor & Eton reduced to nine men.

A disappointing and difficult afternoon for the home side turned on the dismissal of the influential Oliwier Bach in the 30th minute.

Till that point Windsor had been largely on top without creating loads of chances.

Their hopes of progression unravelled fairly quickly from there, with Kia Boylan then turning the ball into his own net to give VCD a 35th minute lead.

Having felt the injustice of last weekend’s abandonment then compounded by Bach’s sending off and Boylan’s own goal, it was difficult for the home side to keep their heads.

A few minutes later Bethel Gboda doubled the visitors lead to give the Southern Counties East League Premier Division leaders a stranglehold on the tie.

Windsor & Eton did well not to fall further behind in the second half, although frustrations boiled over again when Ross McKernan was sent off in the 85th minute.

Tempers boiled over again after the final whistle as one or two players clashed on their way back to the changing rooms with the management teams intervening to try and keep the peace.

Non-League carnage between Windsor & Eton FC and VCD Athletic yesterday... pic.twitter.com/OTxCzva4ji

— Football Fights (@footbalIfights) December 15, 2024

Windsor & Eton will perhaps feel aggrieved at the way things panned out in the two over the two matches, but they must now return to their league campaign, where they have some ground to make up on the sides above them.

While they’ve been out of Combined Counties League 1 action – their last league game was a victory over Yateley on November 23 – they’ve been overtaken at the top, dropping to fourth in the table.

They have seven points to make up on leaders Penn & Tylers Green, however, they have five matches in hand on them – and more matches in hand on Westside and Belstone in second and third place.

They return to league action tomorrow evening (Tuesday) at second from bottom Rising Ballers Kensington.

VCD progress to the fourth round and a home tie against Epsom & Ewell on Saturday, January 11. Epsom overcame Windsor’s Berkshire rivals Burnham in Saturday’s third round tie at King George’s Field.

The hosts took control of the tie with a first half brace from Sean-Michael Anderson (25', 40’). The Blues made a fight of it in the second half when Jabir Laraba scored in the 63rd minute, they couldn’t get back on terms to take the game to a shootout.