Servio Senior Cup Report: Saints 4-1 Horndean

Saints raced into a two-goal lead in the opening exchanges through a Tommy Scutt own-goal and a spectacular finish from Alex Stepien-Iwumene.

A brace from Sufianu Sillah Dibaga either side of half-time put Saints’ youngsters four goals ahead, before Scutt pulled one back for Horndean.

Much like the previous round, Saints lined up with a combined team of Under-21s and Under-18s players, including a midfield pairing of Stepien-Iwumene and Thierry Rohart-Brown, with Will Armitage captaining the side.

Will Armitage took the captain's armband. (Photos: Isabelle Field)

It was the Isthmian League South East side who forced the game’s first chance after just two minutes, as Zackary Willet hit the side netting after finding space to shoot on the right side.

However, it was mostly one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half as Saints’ youngsters powered their way into a two-goal lead.

The first came after great work from Josh Pitts on the right wing, who fired a low ball across the box that was diverted in off Horndean’s captain Tommy Scutt.

A second followed in a matter of minutes as Saints put pressure on the visiting defence and won possession, with the ball popping up kindly 20-yards out for Stepien-Iwumene to impressively volley back into the top corner.

Saints were firmly in the ascendancy and continued to dominate their opponents; Stepien-Iwumene caused more trouble as he weaved through the defence and found Pitts, whose shot didn’t trouble Harry Dillon in goal.

Alex Stepien-Iwumene volleys home the second.

A third goal seemed imminent as Saints attacked from all angles, with Rohart-Brown seeing a shot tipped wide after he was played through by Armitage’s defence-splitting pass.

Armitage then went close himself with a header that was impressively kept out at point blank range, before Pitts tried his luck once more with an angled drive.

The third did eventually come at the end of the half, when Saints again forced a mistake at the back that Nick Oyekunle intercepted, before lofting a pass over for Sillah Dibaga to smash past Dillon on the half volley

It was Sillah Dibaga who added the fourth just after the break with another well-taken finish, as he raced through one-on-one and slotted home.

Sufianu Sillah Dibaga celebrates the first of his two goals.

Horndean did strike back with a goal of their own to cut the deficit back to three as Scutt squeezed the ball past Henry Upstell with the aid of a deflection.

From there, the game became scrappier in midfield but without too much danger for the Saints defence to deal with, as chances to extend the lead went begging.

Pitts, despite his hard work all evening, was unable to add his name to the scoresheet with two efforts that hit the side netting, either side of a well-struck effort from the edge of the box by Rohart-Brown.

Saints secured their passage to the competition’s semi-finals with relative ease as they overcame the highest ranked side of their journey so far, earning a spot in the semi-finals that are set to be played during March.

Saints: Upstell, Williams, Armitage (captain), Dobson-Ventura, Carson, Sesay, Pitts, Stepien-Iwumene (Daley 67), Oyekunle, Rohart-Brown (Martin 61, Sheaf 80), Sillah Dibaga (Myers 80).

Subs not used: Okonola-Matthews.

Goals: Scutt (OG) 11, Stepien-Iwumene 13, Sillah Dibaga 41, 52.

Horndean: Dillon, Taw, Dyer, Robb, Blankson (Miller 53), Kellett-Smith (Field 46), Jackson (Duffin 46), Pile (Chester 53), Scutt (captain), Willet (O’Brien 59), Sibley.

Subs not used: N/A

Goals: Scutt 54.

Yellow Cards: Robb 49, Duffin 77.