Emley under-23 player Lennon O’Grady put in a display beyond his years as the Pewits progressed through to the second round of the FA Vase with a 4-1 win over Longridge Town.
O’Grady helped Emley dominate the game and grabbed a goal himself to round off a perfect display.
The Pewits opened the scoring on the 10th minute mark when a corner taken by Tom Claisse found the Longridge keeper in no man’s land and Sam Pashley nodded home.
The lead was doubled on the 36th minute when Callum Charlton sprang the offside trap, beat the keeper to the ball and had a simple tap in.
The game was played out in a lively fashion to half-time with Emley leading 2-0 at the interval.
Emley started the second half similar to the first and the crowd were delighted when O’Grady got his moment in the sun in the 56th minute.
Charlton’s shot was well saved but the ball looped up and back towards the Longridge goal. O’Grady was the quickest to react to nod in from all of one foot out but it was his anticipation and determination that meant he was able to grab his first senior competitive goal for the club and make it 3-0 to the Pewits.
The home side made it 4-0 on the 71st minute. Striker Jack Bennett was heading at speed towards the Longridge goal, he managed to get a powerful shot away from an acute angle that squeezed under the keeper and into the net to effectively end the game as a contest.
Longridge did not leave empty-handed, however, and pulled one back when captain Moses Yoak scored with a sweet free-kick 14 minutes from time.
Emley go to Newcastle Benfield, conquerors of Golcar United, in the 2nd round on Saturday November 20.
Images by MARK PARSONS
