Nine man VCD crashed at home to Brightlingsea Regent.

Both teams seemed keen to try their luck from distance early on. Connor Hogan fired well over from twenty five yards.

Becka-Kah Dembele was much closer moments later when he cut in and fired a curler that beat Regents’ goalkeeper Ollie Bowles but curled just over.

Tom Richardson tried his luck from well out at the other end but his shot was blocked..

Robbie Rees broke for the Vickers when it looked as though the visitors should have had a free kick but he failed to take advantage and fired wide with a weak effort.

Jake Turner’s challenge on Nick Symons allowed him to break but he fired into the side netting. Sadly for Symons, he was unable to continue and VCD had to make their first change with Ed O’Neil replacing him.

Four minutes later, Brightlinsea went ahead when Ricky Griggs’ cross was deflected to wrong foot Niklas Freund.

Hogan found his way into the referees book soon after before a second change was enforced on VCD with Jamie Guy replaced by Jack Stevenson.

Captain Joe Bruce blocked a Richardson shot before coming close at the other end when kept out by an excellent save from Bowles.

Rees burst through again just before the break but tried his luck with team-mates in support.

Immediately after the interval, Brightlingsea claimed a penalty when Shamidu Pedulu went down in the area but their supporters seemed more interested than their players.

Pedulu then raced past Ricardo Joseph before pulling back to Connor Witherspoon but his first time shot was saved by Freund.

Continued pressure eventually brought a second and Phil Kelly finished at the second attempt after Marc Gorbell tried manfully to clear..

Dembele was then replaced by Farai Hallam, and if it was not due to injury, it was a gamble that back fired.

Freund made a good save from Jake Gould before pulling off a fantastic stop from Kelly when the resulting corner wasn’t cleared.

Stevenson limped off reducing the Vickers to ten then things went from bad to worse as a result of a bad challenge by Kris Newby which was punished with a straight red card.

Turner added a third with the goal of the game, a shot from twenty yards that flew into the top corner.

Josh Gould made it four when arriving at the far post to nod home unmarked from Aaron Condon’s free kick.

Condon then had a shot saved before Rees missed a great chance to score a consolation, eventually seeing his half hit effort scrambled off the line.

Well into injury time Rees again missed out and from the break Condon broke free. Although clearly offside, it mattered little that he made the score 5-0 rather than four.

Manager Keith McMahon will now have an anxious few days hoping injuries clear up ahead of their trips to Dereham Town next Saturday and Bury Town on Tuesday.

 

VCD Athletic: Freund, Tchonang, Joseph, Symons (O’Neil), Bruce, Gorbell, Newby, Hogan, Guy (Stevenson), Kelly, Condon.

Subs not used: Pearce, Duncan, Hallam.

 

Brightlingsea Regent: Bowles, Griggs, Jake Gould, Witherspoon, Josh Gould, Cripps, Pedulu, Turner, Richardson, Kelly, Condon.

Subs not used: Salandeen, Harvey, McDonald.

 

Referee: Michael Marsh

Assistants: Richard Joss & Kirsty Dowle

 

Attendance: 89

 

VCD star player:  Joe Bruce