Michael Bailey Lowestoft Town 1, Witney United 0: Lowestoft Town dug out victory over Witney United to make it through to the last 16 of the FA Vase. The Blues could easily have found themselves behind at half-time against the Oxfordshire side following a lacklustre showing in the first half, with goalkeeper Andy Reynolds pulling off a host of top saves.

Michael Bailey

Lowestoft Town 1, Witney United 0

Lowestoft Town dug out victory over Witney United to make it through to the last 16 of the FA Vase.

The Blues could easily have found themselves behind at half-time against the Oxfordshire side following a lacklustre showing in the first half, with goalkeeper Andy Reynolds pulling off a host of top saves.

But once joint-managers Ady Gallagher and Micky Chapman used half-time to blow away the cobwebs of an enforced two-week break, the Blues took the game by the scruff of the neck against a team that had been scoring goals for fun in the Hellenic League Premier Division.

Midfielder Jamie Godbold was the player to pop up with the game's only goal just after the hour mark, after Neil Plaskett's long throw was flicked on by Russell Stock, and from that moment the final result never looked in doubt for last season's Wembley finalists.

"The first half was woeful really, from our point of view," admitted Gallagher. "The standards we set here are much higher than that and I think because it wasn't going well, players got frustrated with each other, which probably added to it.

"Andy was on hand to make a couple of stunning saves to keep us in it when we weren't playing particularly well, but even though that was the case, we still felt at half-time we'd caused them problems as well.

"Once everyone had a bit of a shot in the arm and took the stick at half-time, they responded in the right way in the second half and I felt our second half performance was solid, much more controlled, much more disciplined.

"They did get a rollicking, but I think the second half showed how well we could play and we created the chances so that we should've maybe won even more comfortably in the end."

A crowd of 759 were at Crown Meadow to see the Trawler Boys' latest Vase success and Gallagher reserved special praise for Goldbold, who has made a habit of popping up in the right place at the right time.

"That was one of the things we noticed in the first half, that there was an opportunity for him to get into those little positions he gets into and get on the end of things," added the Blues' boss. "Not just him, but other players as well.

"But he is a very reliable player and I think he's playing the best football of his career with us at the moment. He seems happy and he's enjoying himself. He's been a great player for us and when you've got good players who are happy, they perform, so itgreat to have a player like him who pops up and scores important goals for us."

n Visit edp24.co.uk/sport for details of today's FA Vase fifth round draw at lunchtime.