Saturday 14th January 2023, FA Vase Fourth Round Proper

West 2 (McKnight pen 31, Swift 81)
Horden Community Welfare 0
Att: 1,019

West booked their place in the Fifth Round of the FA Vase with a hard-fought win over Horden Community Welfare.

Darren McKnight’s penalty just after the half-hour mark gave West a half-time lead, with Joel Swift settling matters with nine minutes remaining.

With both sides looking to continue their record Vase runs, coupled with a heavy pitch and blustery wind, this was always likely to be a tense affair. Ezeikel Eme had West’s first real attempt when he linked up with debutant Kyle Perry and stung the palms of Horden keeper Craig Foster.

Perry was instrumental moments later, as he was bundled over by a Horden defender on the byline. McKnight tuned out the away side’s extended complaints and rolled the ball past Foster to open the scoring.

The game became increasingly scrappy as the gale picked up after the break – Horden began to see more of the ball but an obstinate West back line reduced them to half-chances, with Andrew Jones securing a first clean sheet of the Vase run.

Substitute Swift put the game beyond doubt as it entered its closing stages, robbing a Horden defender of the ball and neatly finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

West: A. Jones, Cook, Westall, McKnight, Hampson, Foulds, Eme, Dickinson (Delaney 83), Perry (Swift 60), Davis, Miller. Not used: C. Jones, Matthews, Graham, Vayro, Hancock.

Chris Adams reaction