MK Irish’s impressive FA Cup run came to an end as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Canvey Island in the First Qualifying Round. Despite taking an early lead and putting in a valiant effort, Irish were undone by stoppage-time goals in both halves.
The match kicked off under challenging conditions, with strong winds causing havoc on the pitch. An early free-kick from just inside the Irish half was lofted high into the box, and the wind carried it onto the top of the bar before the rebound was fired over.
In the 4th minute, Irish were awarded a penalty when George Shrieves turned inside the box and was brought down by a Canvey defender. Mason Spence stepped up and calmly converted from the spot in the 6th minute, giving Irish an early advantage.
Irish continued to create chances, with Meadows having a header saved by the keeper. At the other end, Ladyman pulled off a great diving save to deny a superb header from a Canvey forward, keeping Irish ahead.
A golden opportunity to double the lead came when Shrieves intercepted a pass at the halfway line and drove forward. After a clever touch inside the box, he fired across goal, but the Canvey keeper made an excellent save. The rebound fell to Hirst, whose shot was somehow kept out by the keeper’s outstretched foot.
Canvey Island nearly equalised when a shot from just inside the box caught Ladyman off guard, hitting the near post. Just as it seemed Irish would hold their lead into the break, Canvey found an equaliser in first-half stoppage time. A cross wasn’t fully cleared and was hit sweetly on the half-volley through a crowd of players, leaving Ladyman unsighted as the ball found the back of the net—a hammer blow for Irish right before halftime.
HALF-TIME: Canvey Island 1-1 MK Irish
The second half saw both teams pushing for a winner. Canvey had a curling shot easily saved by Ladyman early on. Irish responded with some good passing play; Hirst showed great footwork to navigate past two defenders into the box but his pass to Spence was just intercepted by a defender.
Meadows continued to be a threat, displaying lovely skill by flicking the ball over a defender and hitting a volley that went just wide. Despite their efforts, Irish began to tire from their relentless work in the second half.
Canvey looked dangerous on the break. A quick counter-attack saw a forward almost through on goal, but Kalek applied enough pressure to force the shot over the bar. Spence later found Kelsey on the edge of the box, but his low, hard shot was straight at the keeper.
As the match entered stoppage time, Canvey Island delivered a crushing blow. In the 91st minute, a cross into the box wasn’t fully cleared. A Canvey forward collected the ball on the edge of the area, showed great feet to bypass a defender, and fired across goal into the bottom corner, putting the hosts ahead 2-1.
Irish pressed forward in search of a late equaliser, but Canvey managed the remaining minutes well, keeping the ball and running down the clock. In the 94th minute, Kalek was shown a red card after a challenge from behind as Canvey looked to retain possession near the corner flag.
Moments later, before the free-kick could be taken, the referee blew the final whistle.
FULL-TIME: Canvey Island 2-1 MK Irish
Goalscorers: Mason Spence
Despite a spirited performance and an early lead through Mason Spence’s penalty, MK Irish bowed out of the FA Cup with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Canvey Island, their first defeat of the season. Late goals in stoppage time of both halves proved decisive, but Irish can hold their heads high after a strong run, having beaten two higher-ranked teams and pushing another two steps above right until the final moments. Irish will now turn their focus back to the league.
