Long Melford 1 FC Romania 2
The Emirates FA Cup returned this weekend and my latest game in my journey took me to Stoneylands for the very first time to see Long Melford host FC Romania in a Preliminary Round tie.
The hosts knocked out Hackney Wick away in the last round whilst the visitors needed a replay to finally dispatch Waltham Forest in their Extra Preliminary Round contest. After chatting with home and away officials and having a nice cup of coffee made by the home sides chairman (which was a nice touch) it was almost time for action.
The pitch was a like a carpet it has to be said, one of the best I’ve seen at this level, and it certainly suited good passing football. The opening ten minutes saw Melford create two openings, both headers, with one straight at keeper Razvan Negrila and the other one headed wide, whilst the visitors saw an effort saved well by Darren Moyes.
The hosts were then gifted a chance when a poor backpass allowed them in on goal but the effort was saved well by Negrila who had come to close the shot down.
The visitors then saw a couple of efforts blocked inside the hosts box whilst Melford saw an effort of their own well saved by Negrila in what was a fairly decent game even if their had been no goals thus far.
That was until the 26th minute when the visitors got their noses in front as hesitation in the box from the defence allowed Sergiu Pitaru to pounce and slot home, this moments after hesitant Melford defending saw the visitors drive wide of the far post, but the hosts hadn’t learned their lesson and found themselves behind.
Melford saw an effort blocked as they tried to respond to going behind before home keeper Moyes had to tip over a decent strike to prevent his side going further behind.
But with eight minutes to go before the break the Romanians did double their advantage when a great team move saw Toby Cleaver played in down the right and he duly slotted across keeper Moyes and into the far corner. It was a great goal and drew applause from all inside the ground.
The hosts came close to immediately reducing the deficit but saw the ball hacked away from goal after keeper Negrila had seen the ball lobbed over him by pacey winger Hassan Ally.
Pitaru almost grabbed his second minutes before the break but saw his close range effort go straight at Moyes, whilst Melford saw a weak header go straight at Negrila and it meant the visitors went into the half time interval with a useful two goal cushion.
Melford knew they had to get the next goal if they were to have any realistic chance of pulling this tie back but the early exchanges of the second period saw two visiting efforts go close, one a long range effort well saved by Moyes and then another shot whistled over from an angle.
And by the time the game had reached the hour mark the visitors should of been out of sight but could not take advantage of some decent openings that came their way.
Melford were trying hard though and as the game entered it’s final twenty minutes or so started to apply pressure on the visitors goal, sending a header wide and then seeing a looping header go over, but it was clear that the home side were not out of this tie yet.
And from their next attack Luke Payne thought he had headed Melford right back into the tie after heading in off the post, however the linesman’s flag had gone up so the goal did not count. The hosts were rather upset by this decision as they claimed the ball had gone backwards when crossed, however it didn’t stand but it was a warning for the visitors.
And as the contest entered it’s final ten minutes Melford glanced a header onto the post as they continued to threaten. The visitors needed to raise their game here as a goal back for the hosts would really see them come under serious pressure.
And sure enough the hosts found a goal with six minutes of normal time remaining when the ball fell to substitute Nathan Rowe and he slotted the ball into the corner of the net and it was now very much game on.
The visitors did catch the hosts on the break on one occasion as they pressed forward for an equaliser but saw George Taban’s effort chalked off for offside then moments later they visitors sent an effort wide of the far post as the game entered stoppage time.
The hosts huffed and puffed but just could not find a way through the hard working FCR backline and after several minutes of stoppage time referee Michael Jarvis brought an end to proceedings and the ESL visitors were in the next round.
The Romanians made harder work of this than they probably should of however you have to applaud how Long Melford pushed them hard and could of easily earned a replay in the end. However its FC Romania who made it through to the First Qualifying Round and they face another trip, this time to North London/Hertfordshire and Brickfield Lane, after they drew Hadley away.
Hadley are of course managed by former cup winner Micky Hazard and ironically they were part of my cup journey last season when they reached the Third Qualifying Round stage before losing out to Eastbourne Borough from the Vanarama South after a replay. Should prove to be another tight contest!!!
Here are some photos of my day at Stoneylands:-
Here are the results in full from the Preliminary Round:-
Friday 18th August
Prescot Cables 2 City of Liverpool 2
Cambridge City 1 Stamford AFC 0
Potton United 2 AFC Dunstable 0
AC London 1 Egham Town 5
Saturday 19 August 2017
South Shields 3 Bridlington Town 1
Albion Sports 2 Newton Aycliffe 1
Sunderland RCA 4 Ashington 0
Guisborough Town 1 Shildon 5
Goole AFC 1 Newcastle Benfield 2
Barnoldswick Town 2 Dunston UTS 1
Tadcaster Albion 0 Colne 1
Harrogate Railway Athletic 1 Kendal Town 1
Scarborough Athletic 1 Marske United 1
Consett 4 Heaton Stannington 0
Penrith 1 Whitley Bay 1
Abbey Hey 2 Maine Road 2
Sheffield 0 Ossett Town 2
Penistone Church 2 Litherland Remyca 0
Bamber Bridge 3 Brighouse Town 2
Frickley Athletic 2 Runcorn Town 1
Ramsbottom United 2 Liversedge 3
Pontefract Collieries 1 Skelmersdale United 2
Ashton Athletic 4 Runcorn Linnets 2
Parkgate 2 Handsworth Parramore 4
Trafford 2 Kidsgrove Athletic 2
1874 Northwich 3 West Didsbury & Chorlton 3
Glossop North End 0 Mossley AFC 2
Hyde United 4 Congleton Town 2
Ossett Albion 3 Droylsden 4
Colwyn Bay 3 Stocksbridge Park Steels 0
Radcliffe Borough 1 Burscough 1
Leek Town 2 Cammell Laird 1907 0
Sporting Khalsa 1 Market Drayton Town 1
Alvechurch 2 Hanley Town 0
Walsall Wood 0 Tividale 1
Bedworth United 0 Haughmond 2
Rugby Town 2 Romulus 3
Bromsgrove Sporting 3 Coleshill Town 4
Wolverhampton Casuals 2 Boldmere St Michaels 2
Brocton 2 Gresley 0
Newcastle Town 1 Evesham United 1
AFC Wulfrunians 1 Westfields 1
Birstall United 0 Cleethorpes Town 3
Shepshed Dynamo 3 Kimberley MW 0
Kirby Muxloe 0 Dunkirk 2
Grimsby Borough 4 Leicester Road 1
Oadby Town 1 Loughborough Dynamo 3
Hinckley AFC 4 Aylestone Park 1
Staveley MW 0 Basford United 1
Boston Town 3 Carlton Town 2
Lincoln United 0 Belper Town 0
Bottesford Town 4 Clipstone 1
Wisbech Town 2 Spalding United 2
Dereham Town 3 Corby Town 0
Barton Rovers 1 Deeping Rangers 2
Yaxley 5 Harborough Town 3
Holbeach United 6 Northampton On Chenecks 1
Newport Pagnell Town 3 Kempston Rovers 3
Arlesey Town 3 Desborough Town 1
Soham Town Rangers 3 Cogenhoe United 2
Eynesbury Rovers 1 Peterborough Sports 1
Wellingborough Town 0 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 4
Bedford Town 3 Swaffham Town 1
Bury Town 1 Tilbury 2
Southend Manor 2 Gorleston 3
Bowers & Pitsea 0 Haringey Borough 2
Maldon & Tiptree 5 Waltham Abbey 1
AFC Hornchurch 2 Brentwood Town 0
Canvey Island 0 Witham Town 2
Clapton 2 Norwich United 0
Framlingham Town 0 Mildenhall Town 1
Haverhill Rovers 1 Heybridge Swifts 1
Newmarket Town 1 Ware 2
Tower Hamlets 0 Takeley 4
Brantham Athletic 3 Cheshunt 6
Stowmarket Town 1 Romford 1
AFC Sudbury 4 Aveley 0
Ilford 1 Haverhill Borough 1
Hertford Town 4 Hadleigh United 1
Great Yarmouth Town 1 Basildon United 0
Grays Athletic 2 Redbridge 0
Long Melford 1 FC Romania 2
Barking 0 Saffron Walden Town 0
Potters Bar Town 4 West Essex 1
Slimbridge AFC 1 Cinderford Town 2
Flackwell Heath 1 Didcot Town 2
Chalfont St Peter 2 Beaconsfield SYCOB 2
Ashford Town (Middx) 3 Wembley 0
Colney Heath 2 Shortwood United 0
Kidlington 1 Wantage Town 0
Swindon Supermarine 1 Northwood 0
Hayes & Yeading United 1 Brimscombe & Thrupp 0
Leighton Town 2 Tuffley Rovers 3
Chipping Sodbury Town 1 Bishop's Cleeve 3
Leverstock Green 1 Aylesbury United 1
Southall 2 Hadley 4
Aylesbury 2 Cirencester Town 1
Uxbridge 0 Thame United 4
Hanwell Town 1 Longlevens AFC 0
Highmoor Ibis 1 North Leigh 3
Cockfosters 3 Holmer Green 0
Pagham 1 Sittingbourne 1
Hollands & Blair 1 Crowborough Athletic 4
Whyteleafe 1 Erith Town 1
Carshalton Athletic 1 Walton & Hersham 1
Haywards Heath Town 2 South Park 0
Colliers Wood United 1 Shoreham 1
Sutton Common Rovers 1 Eastbourne Town 2
Corinthian Casuals 1 Hythe Town 1
Greenwich Borough 4 Three Bridges 1
Deal Town 2 Glebe 2
Walton Casuals 3 Molesey 1
Redhill 1 Ashford United 3
Ramsgate 3 Hanworth Villa 1
East Grinstead Town 3 VCD Athletic 2
Banstead Athletic 6 Loxwood 3
East Preston 0 Thamesmead Town 8
Chipstead 2 Horley Town 0
Tunbridge Wells 3 CB Hounslow United 1
Steyning Town 0 Phoenix Sports 5
Chertsey Town 1 Horsham 3
Lewes 3 Newhaven 3
Sheppey United 0 Hastings United 2
Croydon 0 Faversham Town 0
Bracknell Town 0 Winchester City 4
Fleet Town 1 AFC Totton 1
Andover Town 3 Wimborne Town 3
Godalming Town 3 Farnham Town 0
AFC Portchester 3 Amesbury Town 1
Hamworthy United 4 Ascot United 1
Binfield 1 Horndean 1
Brockenhurst 1 Hartley Wintney 5
Salisbury 3 Fareham Town 2
Badshot Lea 0 Moneyfields 3
Laverstock & Ford 2 Knaphill 4
Alresford Town 0 Thatcham Town 2
Portland United 0 Paulton Rovers 3
Barnstaple Town 1 Clevedon Town 0
Tavistock AFC 2 Shaftesbury Town 1
Bideford AFC 6 Wells City 0
Cadbury Heath 1 Yate Town 0
Bridgwater Town 1 Brislington 0
Hengrove Athletic 1 Bodmin Town 4
Willand Rovers 2 Bristol Manor Farm 1
Odd Down 1 Mangotsfield United 0
Taunton Town 3 Larkhall Athletic 0
Bridport 3 Street 1
Sunday 20th August
Pickering Town 1 Clitheroe 2
Hallam 1 Atherton Colleries 4
Worcester City 1 Chasetown 1
Quorn 1 AFC Mansfield 3
St Margaretsbury 2 Hullbridge Sports 2
Baldock Town 3 North Greenford United 1
Crawley Green 2 Berkhamsted 3
Highworth Town 2 Marlow 3
Erith & Belvedere 1 Cray Valley (PM) 4
Cray Wanderers 2 Sevenoaks Town 3
Littlehampton Town 3 Eastbourne United 2
Herne Bay 2 Chessington & Hook United 1
Guildford City 4 Camberley Town 0
Replays
Monday 21st August
Maine Road A - A Abbey Hey (Match Abandoned)
Beaconsfield SYCOB 3 Chalfont St Peter 1
Tuesday 22nd August
Kendal Town 4 Harrogate Railway Athletic 1
Marske United 1 Scarborough Athletic 2 (AET)
Whitley Bay 3 Penrith 1
City of Liverpool 8 Prescot Cables 2
West Didsbury & Chorlton 1 1874 Northwich 3
Burscough 0 Radcliffe Borough 3
Market Drayton Town 1 Sporting Khalsa 1 (AET, Market Drayton Town won 4-1 on penalties)
Boldmere St Michaels 5 Wolverhampton Casuals 0
Chasetown 2 Worcester City 0
Belper Town 1 Lincoln United 4
Spalding United 0 Wisbech Town 2
Kempston Rovers 4 Newport Pagnell Town 1
Peterborough Sports 2 Eynesbury Rovers 0
Hullbridge Sports 1 St Margaretsbury 1 (AET, St Margaretsbury won 5-4 on penalties)
Heybridge Swifts 6 Haverhill Rovers 1
Haverhill Borough 5 Ilford 2
Saffron Walden Town 3 Barking 4
Sittingbourne 0 Pagham 1
Walton & Hersham 1 Carshalton Athletic 1 (AET, Carshalton Athletic won 5-4 on penalties)
Shoreham 3 Colliers Wood United 1 (AET)
Hythe Town 1 Corinthian Casuals 3
Glebe 3 Deal Town 0
Newhaven 1 Lewes 4
Faversham Town 2 Croydon 1
AFC Totton 5 Fleet Town 0
Wimborne Town 1 Andover Town 2
Horndean 3 Binfield 0
Wednesday 23rd August
Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Trafford 0
Evesham United 2 Newcastle Town 3 (AET)
Westfields 1 AFC Wulfrunians 0
Romford 3 Stowmarket Town 1
Aylesbury United 4 Leverstock Green 1
Erith Town 3 Whyteleafe 3 (AET, Erith Town won 4-1 on penalties)
Monday 28th August
Maine Road 1 Abbey Hey 2
So the 160 sides who won their Preliminary Round ties join the 72 clubs from Step Three in the non league Pyramid (Northern Premier, Southern Premier and Isthmian Premier) to make up the 116 ties in the First Qualifying Round. Here are those games which take place this weekend:-
First Qualifying Round
Friday 1st September
City of Liverpool VS Nantwich Town
Cambridge City VS St Neots Town
Kingstonian VS Shoreham
Saturday 2nd September
Billericay Town VS Didcot Town (Live on BBC Sport, 12:30pm)
Penistone Church VS Whitby Town
Albion Sports VS Barnoldswick Town
Warrington Town VS Grimsby Borough
Ashton Athletic VS Bamber Bridge
Kidsgrove Athletic VS Clitheroe
Stalybridge Celtic VS Farsley Celtic
Marine VS Ashton United
Shaw Lane Association VS Radcliffe Borough
Scarborough Athletic VS Workington AFC
Bottesford Town VS Shildon
Cleethorpes Town VS Atherton Collieries
Colne VS Lancaster City
Ossett Town VS Consett AFC
Hyde United VS Kendal Town
Droylsden VS Colwyn Bay
Abbey Hey VS Altrincham
Skelmersdale United VS Handsworth Parramore
Buxton VS Frickley Athletic
Whitley Bay VS Newcastle Benfield
Sunderland RCA VS Liversedge
Mossley AFC VS 1874 Northwich_
Witton Albion VS South Shields
Halesowen Town VS Basford United
Boston Town VS Hednesford Town
Kempston Rovers VS Wisbech Town
Loughborough Dynamo VS Stourbridge
Market Drayton Town VS Alvechurch (at Nantwich Town FC)
AFC Mansfield VS Dunkirk
Soham Town Rangers VS Westfields
Peterborough Sports VS Stafford Rangers
Rushall Olympic VS Potton United
Sutton Coldfield Town VS Barwell
St Ives Town VS Coalville Town
Grantham Town VS Holbeach United
Haughmond VS Matlock Town
Tividale VS AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Lincoln United VS Redditch United
Shepshed Dynamo VS Leek Town
Stratford Town VS Newcastle Town
King's Lynn Town VS Coleshill Town
Mickleover Sports VS Hinckley AFC
Boldmere St Michaels VS Chasetown
Yaxley VS Dereham Town
Brocton VS Deeping Rangers
Maldon & Tiptree VS Hayes & Yeading United
Tilbury VS Aylesbury United
North Leigh VS Biggleswade Town
Hendon VS Wingate & Finchley
Beaconsfield Town VS Marlow
Colney Heath VS Cockfosters
Berkhamsted VS Slough Town
Clapton VS Needham Market
Royston Town VS Dunstable Town
Bedford Town VS Lowestoft Town
Ware VS Witham Town
Thurrock VS Harlow Town
Hadley VS FC Romania
Great Yarmouth Town VS Chesham United
Hertford Town VS Grays Athletic
Haringey Borough VS Hitchin Town
Potters Bar Town VS Bishop's Stortford
Gorleston VS Barking
Arlesey Town VS Heybridge Swifts
AFC Sudbury VS Mildenhall Town
Aylesbury VS Leiston
Hanwell Town VS Brightlingsea Regent
St Margaretsbury VS Kidlington
Cheshunt VS Takeley
Haverhill Borough VS Kings Langley
Enfield Town VS Harrow Borough
Ashford Town (Middx) VS Corinthian-Casuals
Phoenix Sports VS Eastbourne Town
Ramsgate VS Egham Town
Margate VS East Grinstead Town
Faversham Town VS Tonbridge Angels
Crowborough Athletic VS Sevenoaks Town
Dulwich Hamlet VS Hastings United
Tooting & Mitcham United VS Merstham
Thamesmead Town VS Lewes
Herne Bay VS Walton Casuals
Metropolitan Police VS Staines Town
Folkestone Invicta VS Greenwich Borough
Dorking Wanderers VS Worthing
Horsham VS Ashford United_
Haywards Heath Town VS Tunbridge Wells
Banstead Athletic VS Glebe
Carshalton Athletic VS Pagham
Leatherhead VS Cray Valley (PM)
Erith Town VS Burgess Hill Town
Hereford VS Godalming Town
Banbury United VS Tiverton Town
Bridport VS Barnstaple Town
Gosport Borough VS Bridgwater Town
Frome Town VS AFC Totton
AFC Portchester VS Dorchester Town
Farnborough VS Salisbury
Odd Down VS Weymouth
Tavistock AFC VS Taunton Town
Merthyr Town VS Willand Rovers
Tuffley Rovers VS Swindon Supermarine
Horndean VS Bodmin Town
Paulton Rovers VS Winchester City
Guildford City VS Knaphill
Basingstoke Town VS Hartley Wintney
Bideford AFC VS Bishop's Cleeve
Hamworthy United VS Thatcham Town
Cinderford Town VS Moneyfields
Andover Town VS Cadbury Heath
Sunday 3rd September
Romulus VS Kettering Town
Romford VS AFC Hornchurch
Baldock Town VS Thame United
Littlehampton Town VS Chipstead
Ill be at the tie at Brickfield Lane for Hadley Vs FC Romania. Both sides compete at Step Five in the non league pyramid, Hadley in the Spartan South Midlands Premier whilst FC Romania ply their trade in the Essex Senior League. Proves to be another decent Cup tie so bring it on!!!
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