LITTLE Oakley made progress in the Essex Senior Cup with a 3-0 win at Tendring neighbours FC Clacton, writes LARRY DOBKIN.

The Acorns started the game at pace with Tucker receiving a pass from Mann and lobbing the ball over keeper Bett, only to find the ball end up on the wrong side of the bar.

FC Clacton's Cowler then took the ball with his back to the goal and swivelled to get a shot off, where Billy Lawlor got his body behind the ball and made the save look easy.

With 16 minutes gone and Oakley having the bulk of the possession, a long ball from the centre of defence found Papple in space and running into the box.

He side footed the ball past Butt, to put the visitors 1-0 up.

With player of the match Adie Cant taking control of the midfield, a long ball to Mann resulted in a corner.

Cant dropped the ball into the centre of the box where Mann headed the ball goalwards, where an advancing Nathan Rowe deflected the ball past the keeper to double Oakley's lead.

Clacton were finding hard to get any meaningful chances when a good run across the area by Collis resulted in a powerful shot which was blocked by Sibbons, to avert the danger.

Cant's free-kick was heading for the top corner when Collis pulled off a fantastic save, to deny Oakley a third.

Collis was Clacton’s best outlet and beginning to cause Oakley problems.

After a mazy run in from the wing, his dipping shot was well saved by Lawlor who tipped the ball over the bar for a corner.

Clacton were having a good period when Hogan’s shot in the box was palmed around the post by Lawlor for a corner.

At the other end, Dan Rowe then had two good chances to increase Oakley’s lead before half-time but both shots were saved by the keeper.

Clacton came out for the second half with a new urgency, only to find the Oakley back five in tremendous form and not prepared to give up a clean sheet.

A long ball out of the Clacton defence found Kudiabor who controlled and hit a bending shot that went marginally wide of the post.

And soon after, a FC Clacton corner was bent into the six-yard area and bounced in the centre of the box where the ball was flicked on and hit the bar, before being cleared.

With Clacton pushing to get back into the game, Oakley cleared the ball upfield finding the hard-working Papple.

He beat the Clacton defence to the ball and with keeper Butt coming out of his goal, calmly chipped in to seal Oakley's win.

Little Oakley host Athletic Newham on Saturday.