MALDON and Tiptree saw off Stanway Rovers to book their place in the FA Cup third qualifying round for the first time in five seasons, writes LEE WITNEY.
The Jammers beat their Pitching In Isthmian League division north rivals 2-0 to progress to a tie at divisional rivals Waltham Abbey, on September 27.
Maldon started the game like a side who had a point to prove, after their FA Trophy exit.
Inside the opening ten minutes, Courtney Senior's piercing drive forward forced Stanway players into desperate tackles that the Maldon man skipped through.
He got to the byline and whipped a cross into the box that held up in the wind.
Tevan Allen got his foot to it but was denied by Joshua Blunkell's brilliant point-blank save and the rebound was scrambled away for a corner.
With a quarter of an hour gone, Rovers' Reece Harris curled in a delivery that only needed a touch at the back post but floated out of play.
Allen then spurned a great chance to give the Jammers the lead as he skewed a shot wide from yards out, as the hosts pushed for the opener.
With 28 minutes played, the pressure finally told as Maldon took the lead when Cameron James bundled home on the line at the back post.
Five minutes later, Allen doubled the Jammers' lead. Freddie Sears pounced on a giveaway at the back and squared to Allen. With defenders retreating en masse, Maldon’s number ten just about squeezed the ball home between a post and Joe Debell to give the Jammers daylight.
It should have been 3-0 not long after, but a reluctance to get a shot away allowed Stanway to crowd Maldon out.
Stanway had the first chance of the second half when George Okoye was put through one on one with Elliot Justham but could only shoot wide of goal.
In truth, the second half was a low-key affair with chances few and far between. Stanway saw more of the ball as the half wore on, but Maldon never looked in too much danger of being breached.
In fact, it was only some last-ditch defending at the end of the game that kept the Jammers from adding to their lead.
In quick succession, they saw no fewer than four shots somehow kept out as Louis Dunne had an effort blocked on the line by Joe Turpin, Allen and Amine Sassi had attempts blocked by last-ditch tackles and Matt Price saw his shot batted away by Blunkell.
Ultimately, the Jammers did the damage in the first half to secure their FA Cup progress.
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