Congleton Vale laid the ghost of last season’s Saturday Cup semi-final defeat to Boarhound to rest by outplaying them in every department at Congleton Town FC.
The winning margin, which could have been greater had Anthony Connolly not made a fabulous last-minute penalty save from Craig Caddy, didn’t flatter Vale. They played some wonderful football and thoroughly deserved their place in the District FA Cup final at the Moss Rose.
Boarhound were a shadow of the team that reached last season’s final. They were strangely out-of-sorts and never really developed any momentum.
Craig Caddy had given Vale the lead on 18 minutes with a far post header and Hound keeper Connolly reacted sharply to deny Lee Skellern.
Minutes later, Boarhound’s Simon Gibbons let fly from the edge of the area forcing a fine flying save from Rob Massey.
Ten minutes before half-time came the turning point as Boarhound were twice denied penalty shouts and were clearly rattled. But, to add insult to injury, Vale went up the other end and forced a corner which was inadvertently turned into his own net by Ian Potts. The second half was one-way traffic after a freak goal by Lee Skellern’s freak cross-cum- shot that looked to be heading wide but curled into the top corner.
MOTM Dave Massey added a fourth with more than half an hour remaining but Vale didn’t let up and a Liam Mountford brace in the final 13 minutes proved the icing on the cake.
