Saturday August 5th \\\ Emirates FA Cup \\\ Extra Preliminary Round

West Didsbury & Chorlton 2 - 0 Vauxhall Motors
Elliott 45+3                                          Att: 547
McKnight 90(p)                              

West Didsbury & Chorlton
1 A. Jones (c), 2 Hellawell, 3 Graham, 4 Schofield, 5 Smyth, 6 Foulds, 7 Billingsley, 8 McKnight, 9 Elliott (14 Grimshaw 79), 10 Davis (12 Taylor 90+5), 11 Matthews (16 Eme 73). Not used: 15 Lewens, 17 Hancock, 18 Delaney, 20 Raines (gk).

Vauxhall Motors
1 Booth, 2 Gouldbourne, 3 Smith, 4 S. Hughes (18 Holmes 79), 5 A. Hughes, 6 Beaumont, 7 Burkey, 8 Cooper (c), 9 Buckley (12 Dufton-Kelly 69), 10 Rigby (19 Brandon 69), 11 Harwood. Not used: 14 Moscrop, 15 Deer, 16 Nugent, 17 Hughes.

A goal in stoppage time at the end of each half gave West a deserved victory over NPL side Vauxhall Motors, and a first FA Cup home win in almost a decade.

West made five changes to the team that started Tuesday's defeat at Wythenshawe Town, with Callum Graham, Tom Schofield and Lewis Billingsley returning to the line-up, Matthew Smyth making his first start of the season and Rhian Hellawell coming in for his West debut.

Connor Hancock and Zeke Eme dropped to the bench while Callum Jones, Ben Hampson and JJ Kirongozi didn't feature in the matchday squad.

Strangely, Vauxhall were playing their second consecutive competitive game at Brookburn Road, after celebrating their NWCFL Premier Division title win here on the last day of the season back in April. Their 2023/24 league campaign doesn't begin until August 12th.

Motors, in an unusual change strip of electric blue shirts with graphite shorts and socks, had the game's first meaningful attempt on goal on 11 minutes but captain Cooper pulled his shot wide of AJ's right-hand post.

West's first dangerous moment arrived two minutes later as McKnight rifled in a free-kick from long range, Booth in the Motors goal could only spill the ball to Schofield who couldn't keep his shot down.

Schofield then had his pocket picked in midfield by Harwood, who advanced into West territory but shot high and handsome from 25 yards.

Graham, McKnight and Elliott linked up superbly down West's left, the latter earning a corner which ultimately came nothing. West were more than holding their own against higher level opponents and anyone unaware of the divisional difference would not have guessed that was the case.

As we edged towards half-time Davis picked up his second booking of the week, this time for throwing the ball away. From the free-kick, Sam Hughes ran clear for Motors' best chance of the game so far but AJ narrowed the angle well and thwarted the trouble.

McKnight tried his luck again from distance and Booth was equal to it, however from the next passage of play Schofield pounced on hesitancy in the Motors midfield and found ELLIOTT inside the box, who in customary fashion worked himself a sight of goal and slammed the ball into the net. 


West took their lead into the dressing room, nothing less than deserved, having finally scored against Motors after almost 500 minutes of play spanning five previous meetings.

Vauxhall emerged from the break energised and within ten minutes had put West's goal in peril on three separate occasions. Foulds and Matthews both had their names taken for their part in protecting West's advantage.

On the hour mark West were awakened by a jinking Matthews run, threading himself between two defenders and into the Vauxhall box, pulling the ball back for Elliott who tried to get his shot off but defenders squeezed him out of play.

The game's sliding doors moment came moments later. Matthews again in the thick of it down the left, knocking the ball along the touchline beyond the right-back Gouldbourne, whose challenge arrived long after the ball had fled the scene. 

The force of the challenge was enough for the referee Mr Wood to consider it reckless, and Vauxhall found themselves a man down and a goal down with just under half an hour remaining.

Vauxhall understandably retreated to limit any further damage, though were unable to reproduce their earlier threat once starting forwards Buckley and Rigby had been replaced by Dufton-Kelly and Brandon on 69 minutes.

Matthews' race was soon run, too, as Zeke Eme came on to keep Vauxhall occupied. Grimshaw also entered the field, replacing goalscorer Elliott, while Motors' last roll of the dice was to introduce Holmes for Sam Hughes.

As the game wound down, West were able to absorb any pressure towards their own goal and the sense that the game was up became palpable. 

Grimshaw, ever the nuisance, had a penalty appeal waved away. The clocked was by now ticking towards 90 and Davis' cross from the right was blocked by Beaumont's arm, giving West the chance to seal it.

Up stepped McKNIGHT who, for the second Saturday running, sent the keeper the wrong way in front of the Shed, though this time it was the other way!

Taylor relieved Davis midway through ten minutes of stoppage time, the new directive to recover lost minutes clearly in effect.

The final whistle arrived at 5.01pm and West had done it, through to face Prescot Cables at home in the Preliminary Round on Saturday August 19th. Vauxhall Motors, with rich FA Cup pedigree of their own, a new name to add to West's growing list of scalps.
 

Motors, themselves exiting the FA Cup at the Extra Preliminary Round stage for the second season in succession, are now primed for the NPL season to begin next Saturday, their first at step four since 2001.

Listen to Chris Rowley's post-match thoughts here, sponsored by Steve Eckersley.

Your Burton Road Brewing Co Supporter of the Match was Mike and his Player of the Match was Ben Elliott.

Pictures by Nathan Ashmall, Si Cook and Chris Michell.
Full match gallery available here.


Other NWCFL Premier Division clubs in the Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Saturday 5th August 2023
AFC Liverpool 0-5 Lower Breck (6pm)
Barnoldswick Town 3-1 Handsworth
Burscough 1-0 Pilkington
Charnock Richard 7-0 Squires Gate
Congleton Town 1-0 Wythenshawe Town
Glossop North End 1-2 Colne
Kendal Town 1-4 Consett
Padiham 3-0 Silsden
Prestwich Heys 3-1 Bootle
Stockport Town 0-1 Ramsbottom United
Uttoxeter Town 1-4 Bury (at Bury)
West Didsbury & Chorlton 2-0 Vauxhall Motors
Whitchurch Alport 2-1 Cheadle Town
Widnes 1-1 Longridge Town (Widnes won the replay 5-1)
Wythenshawe P-P Campion (waterlogged pitch) (Wythenshawe won the rescheduled game 2-1)
Sunday 6th August 2023
Albion Sports 2-2 Chadderton (tie under investigation)
Hallam 3-3 Irlam (Irlam won the replay 5-2)

NWCFL Premier Division 
Saturday 5th August 2023
FC Isle of Man 0-3 Litherland REMYCA (6pm)
FC Isle of Man did not enter the 2023/24 FA Cup and Litherland REMYCA are serving a one season FA Cup ban.

Next game \\\ Saturday August 12th, Burscough (H), NWCFL Premier Division, Matchday 3