Lakenheath put to the sword by clinical Rugby Town to exit FA Vase in 5-1 defeat but Suffolk club set to appeal apparent sin bin substitution error

The road to Wembley appears to have ended in disappointing fashion for Lakenheath in east Warkwickshire this afternoon as Rugby Town ran up a 5-1 scoreline in the last 32 Buildbase FA Vase tie.

But in his interview with SuffolkNews (see video below) manager Ben Cowling revealed the Suffolk club will be appealing what they saw as a breach of the sin bin rules which left them with 10 men for the final 25 minutes.

Their argument will be the FA rules state a team is allowed to put on a substitute following the same player being sent to the sin-bin – for abusive language towards an official – for a second time in a match.

Captain Sam Hawley did not emerge for the start of the second half after being given the 10 minute sin-bin punishment for words said as he left the pitch at half-time.

But he was also sent back into it – and subsequently not allowed to return again to the field of play – directly after the hosts made it 3-0 in the 64th minute.

Lakenheath's bench were apparently told they were not permitted to replace Hawley's absence for the rest of the game with a substitute.

The FA will be asked to consider whether it means the game should be replayed, though in reality the United Counties League Premier Division South were dominant and worthy of the heavy scoreline.

Striker Danico Johnson proved too much of a handful for the Heath defence all afternoon and had broken the deadlock on the half-hour mark before Justin Marsden's tap-in doubled their advantage four minutes before the interval.

Danico Johnson's low curling effort made it 3-0 before, playing with 10 men, Lakenheath conceded two more, a blistering 75th minute strike by captain Loyiso Recci followed by substitute Max Johnson's simple 81st minute finish.

There was at least a goal for the travelling fans, thought to number almost 100, to cheer in the 90th minute when Shaun Avis blasted home a penalty.

Cowling had gone with an unchanged line-up from last weekend's impressive 4-0 home win over Fakenham Town in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division at the impressive arena of the former Step 3 side and 1982/83 FA Vase winners.

But with numbers short due to Kane Manels, Ryan Yallop and the injured Jack Gould all being cup-tied, he brought back Kelvin Enaro, who had been announced as being released earlier this season, for a place on the substitutes bench.

It was the hosts, who lie fourth in the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South, who carved out the first opportunities with centre-back Jamal Clarke heading wide from a fifth-minute corner after Barry Fitzharris' shot had been deflected over.

Up the other end Sam Peters' deep free kick was fisted out by the keeper Ashley Bodycote who then smothered Shaun Avis' follow-up effort.

The Valley's record goalscorer, David Kolodynski, stabbed wide at the far post from a good opportunity while Danico Johnson ran powerfully into the area before also drilling wide.

In the 25th minute Kolodynski sent a bicycle kick from Clarke's header wide of the left-hand post.

The visitors saw a brief sight of goal soon after but Lee Hammond's 25 yard effort sailed well over the crossbar.

The hosts finally broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Danico Johnson got into the area once again and played a one-two with Kolodynski before putting a low shot down the middle of the goal, with Beckwith having already dived. From a defensive point of view it was a soft goal.

Marsden missed a chance to quickly add another within three minutes, steering a low Kolodynski cross wide of the near post.

It was 2-0 in the 41st minute though with Beckwith unable to hold on to Kolodynski's angled shot and Marsden reacting quickest to turn in the loose ball from close-range.

The Suffolk side reacted by finishing the half strongly though Tom Thulbourn found himself out-muscled in the area from a half chance.

Emerging with 10 men for the start of the second period, following Hawley's first sin bin offence, the visitors were soon under the cosh.

Danico Johnson's free kick was deflected wide before the striker shot straight at Beckwith at his near post.

With Hawley back in the action, substitute Alex McIntosh fired well over from outside the area in a rare excursion into The Valley's half.

There was a second stoppage for a green flair being thrown on the pitch by the travelling fans before Beckwith had to claw away a Kolodynski cross-shot at his near post.

But he was not able to get near Danico Johnson's low curling effort from just inside the left edge of the area in the 64th minute.

Some over-heated words before the restart from Hawley saw him leave the field once again, though this time unable to emerge from the sin bin.

Controversially left with 10 men for the remainder of the game, Heath went desperately close to pulling one back in the 70th minute but Boycote made a diving save to push away Thulborn's powerful shot on the turn from the edge of the area.

Five minutes later it was 4-0 though as a stunning piledriver from Valley captain Rico, from just outside the area on the left-hand side, arrowed inside the far post.

They were celebrating the fifth in the 81st minute when, having committed men forward, Lakenheath were caught on the break. Danico Johnson played Max Johnson away down the right and the substitute's low centre fell invitingly via a deflection for Caine Elliott to sweep home.

It could have got worse for the visitors were it not for Beckwith pulling off a fine block to deny Edwin Ahenkorah from close-range.

In the final minute of regulation time the Suffolk side's endeavour to get one back was rewarded when Thulborn was blatantly barged over by Clarke and Avis fired the penalty powerfully into the top left-hand corner.

It was to be the last goalmouth action as a fine afternoon's work by Rugby saw their Wembley dream appear to come a step closer with a place in the last 16.

Cowling had hoped his Lakenheath players would leave the pitch with no regrets, but sadly, that was not the case today.

Rugby Town: Bodycote, Summerfield, Ahenkorah, Clarke, Recci, Rosser, Marsden (M Johnson 65'), Fitzharris, Kolodynski (Parker 65', Hancocks 79'), D Johnson, Elliott. Unused subs: Francis, Thomas.

Lakenheath: Beckwith, Logan (McIntosh 46'), Peters (Enaro 77'), Hawley, Grogan, Underwood, Hammond (Webber 90 +1'), Bailey, Avis, Thulborn, Clarke. Unused subs: Banks, Webber, Debenham, Nurse.

Attendance: 435