Chasetown FC put Walsall Wood FC to the sword and triumphed 6-1 in their Walsall Senior Cup tie.

Danny Smith
Danny Smith

Duncan Horler and Danny Smith led the attack with two goals apiece with Jack Scandrett and Gary Birch also on the scoresheet on a night where the gulf between the side’s different leagues was clear.

Saturday scorer Birch was the first to go close for the Scholars as he fired narrowly over the bar in the third minute before the returning Vaughan Thomas cut out Walsall Wood’s first effort as Torgut Bilgimer tried to cut in down the right.

Birch then went close again as the hosts showed some great pace down the right in the early stages, but the forward’s shot went inches wide of the far post.

On 12 minutes Chasetown took the lead as another good move from the right met Horler in position at the far post to head home past keeper Luke Rollins.

Two minutes later Horler grabbed both his and the Scholars’ second as he headed home Mark Branch?s corner, and the hosts looked confident of progress against their Midland Combination opponents.

Craig Milligan sent a long ball through to Birch on 25 minutes but once again his effort was high and wide, before the visitors pulled a goal back against the run of play four minutes later.  Ahmet Bilgimer’s first shot was blocked by keeper Ryan Price, but the ball rebounded back to Bilgimer whose shot over Price bounced in off the underside of the crossbar.

Chasetown did not let the visitors’ strike affect them, and on 37 minutes the two-goal  lead was restored courtesy of a fine headed effort from Smith who had shown fine pace throughout the half and had been threatening a goal for some time.

Three minutes later and the Scholars made it four as a high ball in from the left from Gavin Saunders found Birch and this time the latter made no mistake as he turned the ball in at the far post.

Birch had a chance for a second five minutes into the second half but Rollins saved his low shot well with his feet, before on 56 minutes the Walsall Wood keeper tipped the former Walsall striker’s attempt over the bar in fine style after John Branch’s initial cross was headed back out to the right.

Birch was determined to find his second but with the defence working hard in front of goal and Rollins in fine form he was denied repeatedly, with Rollins also stopping Milligan?s free kick from the halfway line on 64 minutes.

By this stage it was Chasetown all the way, Smith firing Milligan’s free kick high and wide before unleashing a super strike from 20 yards in the 75th minute following some good play by young guns Scandrett and Andy Westwood, Smith’s shot leaving Rollins with no chance as it smashed into the roof of the net.

Smith then had the chance for a hat-trick five minutes later but his low shot cannoned off the far post, before Scandrett opened his account for the Scholars first team with a stunning shot from near the halfway line flying high over Rollins and into the net.

Scandrett burst through again three minutes later but was denied a second goal by the offside flag as Chasetown set up a visit to Bloxwich United in the quarter finals.

There’s one game to go before Christmas for the Scholars as they take on Market Drayton Town at the Scholars Ground on Saturday (December 19), 3pm kick-off.

Chasetown: Price, J Branch, Milligan, Miller, Thomas, Saunders, M Branch, Egan (c), Birch, D Smith, Horler.  Subs: Teesdale, Slater, Scandrett (Birch 71), Westwood (M Branch 66), L Smith (Horler 62).
Walsall Wood
: Rollins, Deavall, Roberts, T Bilgimer, McCormack, Huckfield, Purvey, Owen (c), A Bilgimer, Allmark, Cadman.  Subs: Torgut (Cadman 69), Cooper (T Bilgimer 74), Larkins (McCormack 79), Reeves.