MK Irish kicked off their FA Vase campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Wellingborough Whitworth on a rare Friday night fixture. The match, played away against a side one division below, proved to be a tricky test, but Irish’s quality ultimately saw them through to the next round.
Wellingborough Whitworth started the game brightly, putting Irish on the back foot from the start. Just five minutes in, a defensive mix-up between Kalek and Ladyman resulted in a penalty for the hosts. Despite Ladyman getting fingertips to it, the penalty was converted to give Wellingborough an early lead.
The Flourmen continued their strong start, threatening again with a shot that was well-blocked by Zawe, but as the half progressed, Irish began to grow into the game. A chance fell to Shepherd at the edge of the box, but his strike sailed over the bar. Not long after, Spence missed a golden opportunity to level the score, sending a penalty wide after Shrieves was brought down in the box.
Just before half-time, Irish finally found the equaliser. A clumsy foul on Zawe gave Irish a free-kick, which Ben Shepherd whipped into the box, and Ryan Smith was on hand to head home, bringing the sides level in the 3rd minute of added time.
HALF-TIME: Wellingborough Whitworth 1-1 MK Irish
Irish came out stronger in the second half, with Ryan Smith having an early effort deflected through to the keeper. The visitors continued to press, and in the 62nd minute, they took the lead. A well-worked passing move around the edge of the box saw Meadows lay the ball off to Spence, whose shot was saved, but Shrieves was there to smash the rebound into the net.
The game took a decisive turn straight from the restart, as Hirst won the ball back, and Meadows played Shrieves through. The Wellingborough defender brought Shrieves down as the last man, resulting in a red card for the hosts, much to the dismay of the Wellingborough bench. The defender did win the ball, however went through the man to do so. The ensuing free-kick from Ryan Smith was well-struck but matched by an equally good save from the keeper.
Despite being down to 10 men, Wellingborough continued to push when given the chance, but Irish held firm. They nearly extended their lead multiple times, with Shrieves hitting the post and Spence having a shot saved. Finally, in the first minute of added time, Irish wrapped up the victory. A goal kick from Ladyman was flicked on to Osei-Addo, who then played Meadows through. His shot made it past the keeper, and despite a defender’s effort to clear it, the ball ended up in the net, sealing a 3-1 win.
The hosts made one last push, but the referee’s final whistle brought an end to a difficult but ultimately successful evening for MK Irish.
FULL-TIME: Wellingborough Whitworth 1-3 MK Irish
Goalscorers: Ryan Smith, George Shrieves, JJ Meadows
Man of the Match: George Shrieves
MK Irish showed their resilience in a tough FA Vase tie against Wellingborough Whitworth, coming from behind to secure a 3-1 victory. Irish will have another away tie in the next round with a trip to Irchester United on the 21st September.
