Servio Senior Cup Report: AFC Stoneham 1-2 Saints

Saints led after just three minutes through Nick Oyekunle’s close range finish, and he added the second from the penalty spot just after the hour mark.

The visitors had chances in the closing stages and pulled a goal back through Yumo Wan, but couldn't find a late leveller.

Saints lined up with a combination of Under-21s and Under-18s players, with four changes from their second round victory against Cowes Sports.

Zach Awe captained a mixed Saints side. (Photos: Isabelle Field)

One of those dropping in from the Under-21s, Princewill Ehibhatiomhan, had the game’s first chance in the opening minutes as he wriggled free of a defender but was denied at the near post.

With less than three minutes on the clock, Saints took the lead through Oyekunle in what was a frantic start to proceedings.

Callum Lee raced out of the AFC Stoneham goal and was caught in no man’s land, allowing Josh Pitts to deliver the ball towards goal where his attacking partner arrived to tap home.

Saints nearly added a second inside five minutes after a neat team move that resulted in a curling, low shot from Aston Daley that was saved.

The hosts gradually began to gather themselves and should have levelled when Lewis Nagle blazed a one-on-one opportunity over the bar.

Oyekunle celebrates his opener.

A handful of chances for AFC Stoneham followed, but saves from Josh Jeffries and a Zach Awe block prevented Tyrrell Sampson, Duarte Martins, and Ryan Cluett from converting.

The home crowd thought they had scored in the closing stages of the first half but Saints hacked the ball off the line during a penalty area melee.

The second half was far less frenetic as both sides slowed their play down, with Saints going close to finding a second when Sonnie Davis’ driven shot from range was parried.

At the other end, a series of chances went begging for AFC Stoneham as their frustrations grew in front of goal; Sampson was denied by a one-on-save before Martins shot wide from close range.

Davis and Oyekunle had further efforts saved by Lee in the Stoneham goal but, with 66 minutes on the clock, a penalty awarded for handball presented the clearest opportunity.

Oyekunle stepped up and calmly rolled the ball into the bottom right corner to double the advantage.

Oyekunle's penalty proved to be the winner.

From then, the game slowed as Saints had a healthy lead and the hosts’ sights on goal became more fleeting.

However, AFC Stoneham ramped up the pressure in the closing stages and finally pulled a goal back two minutes from time when Wan turned in a corner inside a crowded penalty area.

Saints were forced to defend a late siege and were fortunate when substitute Jim Orvis volleyed narrowly wide of the far post in stoppage time.

With the last kick of the game, Owen Fee blazed a free-kick over the bar from an inviting position to confirm Saints’ progression to the quarter-finals. 

AFC Stoneham: Lee, Cluett, Pattison, Bainbridge, Wan, Clarke (Barnes 80), Sampson (Hills 74), Welch (C), Martins (Thomson 77), Jenkins (Orvis 60), Nagle (Fee 77).

Subs not used: N/A.

Goals: Wan 88.

Saints: Jeffries, Davis, Moore, Awe (C), Carson, Williams (Sesay 67), Pitts, Daley, Oyekunle (Pearce 82), Andrews, Ehibhatiomhan (Martin 46).

Subs not used: Upstell, Dobson-Ventura.

Goals: Oyekunle 3, 66.