Non-League and Academy football writer

In what was only PFC Victoria London’s second ever time competing in the FA Vase, the step 6 Combined Counties Football League Division One side, would face Wellingborough Whitworth, at the Robert Parker Stadium. PFC Victoria had made an excellent start to the new Combined Counties Football League Division One season, of which they have won four and drawn two of their opening six league matches of the season. Wellingborough Whitworth also play their football at step 6 of the non-League pyramid, with the team from Northamptonshire competing in the Spartan South Midlands Football League Division One. Wellingborough Whitworth have won three, drawn one and lost two from their opening six league matches of this season. This promised to be a really interesting FA Vase tie, and it would finish 2-2, with Wellingborough Whitworth winning the tie on penalties.

PFC Victoria would start this cup tie well and at a good intensity. A good lofted pass from Yurii Kohuch, would find the run of Liam Stabler on the left-hand side of the away team’s penalty area. Liam Stabler would control the ball, before hitting a powerful low effort on the centre of the goal, which was parried away by Wellingborough Whitworth’s goalkeeper, Darryl Pearce. After a couple of PFC Victoria efforts off target, some good work from Yurii Kohuch, would see the PFC Victoria defender find Serhii Hura, down the right-hand side of the pitch. He would then take the ball beyond a defender at pace, before going in to the away team’s box, and then hitting a low effort on goal which was well blocked by a defender.

Yurii Kohuch had started this game really well for the home side. Shortly after he had made a crucial sliding intervention to stop a cross from reaching a Wellingborough Whitworth player in space at the back post of the home team’s goal, the away side would come close to taking the lead. A powerful low effort from Aiden Garside on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, was parried away well by their goalkeeper, Milan Czerwonka. Then on the follow-up, and Jacob Thompson would hit a low effort wide of the goal. 

This was proving to be a good and open game of football. Following on from Jakub Matwiejszyn’s low effort on the visitors’ goal, which was gathered by Pearce, in the 29th minute of this cup tie Wellingborough Whitworth would take the lead. A good low cross from the right-hand side of the pitch, would find Aiden Garside at the back post, from where he finished low in to the goal, 0-1. PFC Victoria tried to respond before half-time. Their captain Jakub Malczuk, would cushion the ball down to Artem Karakaptan, on the edge of the away team’s penalty area, and he would hit a low effort wide of Pearce’s goal.

Wellingborough should have been 2-0 up during the very early stages of the second half. A good move resulted in Liam Morrisey passing the ball to Harry Bailey on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, who then played the ball across the face of Milan Czerwonka’s goal, to Aiden Garside, whose first time effort went over the goal, from close range. PFC Victoria would soon start to play their football to good effect, again, as the second half progressed. In the 59th minute of the game PFC Victoria would draw level in this tie. Liam Stabler would play a short pass to Jakub Malczuk on the left flank, who then delivered a good cross in to the centre of the Wellingborough Whitworth box, where he found Kamil Wrobel. The centre-forward’s powerful headed effort would go past Pearce and high in to the goal, 1-1.

Following that equalising goal for PFC Victoria, joint manager Mateusz Czekalski’s side would start to look the more likely side to go on and win this game. Shortly after Remy Britian had curled a free-kick effort over Milan Czerwonka’s goal from 25 yards out, PFC Victoria would take the lead, in the 73rd minute of this contest. Arriving courtesy of a well delivered corner-kick from Artem Karakaptan, towards the back post of the visitors’ goal, the midfielder would find Jakub Matwiejszyn, who powered an unstoppable header in to Pearce’s goal, 2-1. After having taken the lead, PFC Victoria would show good game management as the game entered its final stages.

Deep in to added time and shortly after PFC Victoria player Mateusz Kaczmarek had been shown a straight red card following a foul on a Wellingborough Whitworth player, the visitors would draw level, in the 97th minute of the game. The impressive Ryan Baxter’s free-kick delivery from deep, was headed down by a teammate to the left-hand side of the PFC Victoria penalty area. Louis McMahon would get to the ball before finishing low in to the goal, so very late on in this game, 2-2. On to penalties, and after conceding that heartbreaking equaliser in the last minute of the game, it was always going to be very tough for PFC Victoria to win on penalties. With the scores at 2-2 on penalties, Darryl Pearce would then make a good save, and despite both sides scoring all of their remaining penalties, it was Vikram Mazumbar who scored the decisive penalty, as Wellingborough Whitworth progressed in to the next round of the FA Vase, winning 5-4 on penalties.

Overall I thought that PFC Victoria were the better and more creative side in this cup tie. They played their football well and effectively as a team, and they really did give their all on the day, defending well also. Conceding that very late equalising goal must have been incredibly tough to take for the home side. They can be very proud of their efforts today against a really good team, with players such as Liam Stabler, Joe Stabler, Jakub Matwiejszyn, Yurii Kohuch, Carlos Angulo and Artem Karakaptan all having strong games. Despite competition from his teammates and some of the Wellingborough Whitworth players (such as Harry Bailey and Ryan Baxter), my player of the match award goes to a PFC Victoria player – their captain, Jakub Malczuk. The tireless and vastly experienced midfielder had a really fine game in the central areas of the pitch, using the ball well throughout this tie. He also provided the assist for Kamil Wrobel’s goal, to make it 1-1.