Match Report: Bethnal Green United 4-0 Basildon United

Aficionados of Britpop may remember Blur's iconic Mile End Stadium gig in 1995, but while there's precious little evidence of music in the air in East London today the venue is seeing another small piece of history.

Bethnal Green United were only formed in 2000 as a community club designed to give young men from the impoverished borough of Tower Hamlets a chance to stay away from gangs and use football as a force for something positive. They've been slowly building small milestones since then and today sees their first ever FA Cup tie at Extra Preliminary Round level.

While Bethnal Green are a team very much on the up, their opponents, Basildon United, have seen better days. The Bees were formed in the late 60s and made it as high as the Isthmian Division One in the 80s but have been kicking around the Essex Senior League since and show little sign of reclaiming past glories.

It's unlikely too many teams at this level have their turnstile in the reception of a leisure centre, but Mile End Stadium is a decent enough home for Bethnal Green, even if there's no hut for half-time teas. Spectators in need of refreshment have to make do with vending machines instead.

Fans also have to contend with the dreaded athletics track, although compared with the Withdean and Don Valley, Mile End is positively cosy and there's a small amount of atmosphere made by a group of women and their children in one corner of the rustic wooden slat seated stand. How many of them are wives, friends or relatives is a moot point but it adds to the atmosphere.

The initial ten minutes see both teams sussing each other out but it quickly becomes clear that Basildon's tactic is to hoof it long and hope to muscle the Bethnal Green defenders out of it. Sadly, the hoofing is of poor quality and Basildon are leaving gaping holes between midfield and attack, meaning the home side can easily mop up loose balls.

Bethnal Green soon have the measure of their opponents and dispense with balls over the top in favour of a slick passing game, which the well-kept pitch allows and wouldn't be out of place at a higher level.

With so much possession, an opening goal for the home side is somewhat inevitable and it's impressive stuff when it arrives. The midfield engage in a spot of one-touch football before sliding the ball to the left winger, who beats a couple of men, cuts inside and squares the ball to the number 10 who finishes crisply beyond the Basildon goalkeeper.

A second soon follows after Bethnal Green's number 10, who's causing the defence all sorts of problems with his movement, break free down the right-hand side. From the byline, he cuts back an impressive ball for the onrushing Bethnal Green player to slam home emphatically.

Basildon briefly rouse with a few hopeful balls off the pitch and a succession of corners, which are cleared less than convincingly by the home side, but the attacks lack conviction and the half time whistle can't come quick enough.

The anger from the Basildon players can audibly be heard by anybody who heads to the toilets at half time. The facilities are next door to the dressing rooms and many variations of the word "f*ck" can be heard echoing down the corridor.

This shouting lasts about seven minutes which is when @flashboy, occasional TFT pod contributor and one of two companions to the game, heads to the bathroom. Instead he bumps into Bethnal Green's number 7 at the urinals.

Any hope Basildon had of getting back into the game quickly fades when Bethnal Green add a slickly-worked third soon after the break, and the contest is as good as over.

Nobody seems to have told Bethnal Green though, who continue to press, harry, tackle and attack as if they're one-nil down with five minutes to go, and even with their foot off the gas, the ball spends much of the time in the away half.

Basildon, meanwhile, are showing the effects of fielding a team who look the wrong side of thirty and don't get down the gym as regularly as they should. Balls are regularly lost on the centre of the park, with the offending player stopping for a breather rather than tackling back.

Indeed, the whole side has the air of a Sunday veterans team who've been on the receiving end of a hammering by a bunch of kids and can't wait to get down the pub for a post-match pint. Their only respite is when shots miss the target and the goalkeepers have to run over the athletics track and to the edge of the stadium to retrieve the ball.

Eventually Bethnal Green add a fourth late in the second half and the game is all over, although neither side stays on the pitch that long due to the heavy rain that's been on and off during the game.

On the way out of the stadium, what appears to be the mother of one of the home players asks about the final score and there's visible shock on her face when she's told just how empathic the victory has been.

It is, then, a day for celebrating in East London. The team that are billing themselves as Tower Hamlets' premier side have achieved a historic first FA Cup victory and will face either Kentish Town or Stanstead FC in the Preliminary Qualifying Round.

There's no doubt the club is going places - in the programme notes, the chairman talks about gaining promotion to the Conference within ten years.

This may be a touch ambitious, especially given the work that would need to be done to the stadium, but there's a real community vibe, in keeping with the club's aims, and, unusually for a match at this level, nearly half the crowd (and by far and away the most vocal section) is female.

The football is certainly good enough to grace a higher level though, and Bethnal Green's main priority will be climbing up from the Essex Senior leagues. If their opposition is anything like Basildon, they may just achieve it.

[Apologies for lack of names - I couldn't find a teamsheet for love nor money. Photo via flashboy @ Twitgoo]