Hadley 2 FC Romania 3
Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round day saw me at Brickfield Lane as Spartan South Midlands Premier Hadley hosted Essex Senior League FC Romania in what promised to be a decent battle between two good sides.
Hadley had smashed in thirteen goals in their previous two rounds including a 9-1 away success at Langford in the previous round. FC Romania had had a much tougher passage, needing a replay to see off fellow ESL side Waltham Forest before battling past Thurlow Nunn Premier Long Melford in the last round.
Both teams know where the goal is though, and the game was not even a minute old when we saw our first one in this contest as the hosts got a dream start when the visitors allowed Jermeel Jno-Baptiste to run unchallenged to the edge of the box and unleash an effort that deflected in off the post.
But the visitors didn’t have to wait long to respond as in the fifth minute Sergiu Maximov struck a free kick that took a deflection off a defenders outstretched leg and over the keeper into the net. It had been a breathless start.
It didn’t let up either as the visitors carved out a great chance in the tenth minute as a ball across goal was somehow cleared off the line but, just a minute or so later FCR did take the lead when Florin Pop crossed for an unmarked Toby Cleaver to send a downward header into the net and the ESL side had the lead.
The hosts saw a downward header well fielded by the visitors keeper in the 18th minute and then midway through the half Hadley curled a free kick a foot over the bar as they looked to respond to going behind.
And just before the half-hour mark a Hadley cross to the back post was headed way over however the hosts were looking dangerous and giving the visitors plenty to think about.
However on the half hour mark the visitors should of increased their lead as Cleaver managed to get in on goal, compose himself, but slip at the vital moment and see his effort go wide of the near post.
With four mins of the half remaining FCR broke from a Hadley free kick and saw an effort from Pop deflect inches wide of the far post before another FCR effort after some good skill from Pop went straight at the hosts keeper as the visitors ended the half strongly.
It was a half that ended with the visitors ahead in what had been a very entertaining first half at Brickfield Lane.
The early exchanges of the second period saw the hosts drill a shot wide of the near post whilst the visitors curled an effort just wide down the other end and then nine minutes into the second half a long throw caught out the hosts back line and saw Pop in but his effort was blocked by a defender, although the visitors wanted a penalty as they claimed handball, but it was not given.
Midway through the half the visitors saw a couple more openings come their way when after a Cleaver header was caught by the keeper, his throw out went straight to Sergiu Pitaru whose effort went just wide, saving the keepers blushes.
With twenty minutes remaining FCR got in again but saw the keeper beat away their effort at the near post. Cleaver was free in the middle for the visitors too and had the ball been laid across to him he surely would of tapped home. Moments later down the other end the hosts suddenly found themselves in down the right however a rush of blood saw them blaze well over.
But with ten minutes to go the visitors gifted the hosts an equaliser when they allowed a long ball to bounce, encouraging pressure from Kerkstun Macpherson, and this pressure saw a poor header back to the keeper who miscontrolled the ball, and left Macpherson the simple job of rolling the ball into the empty net and set up a grandstand finale to this epic cup tie.
You felt that after that equaliser the hosts may go onto win it and with six minutes left the home side played a terrific ball across goal but no one gambled and the chance had gone.
And then a minute or so later the visitors went oh so close to a potential winner as a curling effort from outside of the box struck the outside of the post with the keeper well and truly beaten.
With three minutes remaining FCR curled a free kick just wide, it really was anyone’s game this but could anyone find a winner?
Well a minute into stoppage time we had that winner as this superb contest was settled by an absolute peach of a strike as after Hadley have given the ball away in midfield, FCR's Jagura sent a long range effort over the keeper who was off his line into the net and see the visitors go wild.
It was a superb late winner and fit to win any game of football, let alone this one. It had been a terrific battle and both teams should take credit for that. However it was FC Romania who took their place in the hat for the Second Qualifying Round draw and they pulled out a home tie with Evo-Stik Southern East side Hayes & Yeading United, one step above them in the pyramid.
Here are some photos of the day at Brickfield Lane, Hadley FC:-
Right here are the First Qualifying Round results in full:-
Friday 1st September
City of Liverpool 1 Nantwich Town 2
Cambridge City 3 St Neots Town 1
Kingstonian 3 Shoreham 2
Saturday 2nd September
Billericay Town 5 Didcot Town 0
Penistone Church 3 Whitby Town 2
Albion Sports 3 Barnoldswick Town 2
Warrington Town 1 Grimsby Borough 0
Ashton Athletic 2 Bamber Bridge 1
Kidsgrove Athletic 3 Clitheroe 2
Stalybridge Celtic 2 Farsley Celtic AFC 1
Marine 1 Ashton United 3
Shaw Lane Association 3 Radcliffe Borough 1
Scarborough Athletic 1 Workington AFC 0
Bottesford Town 0 Shildon 1
Cleethorpes Town 1 Atherton Colleries 2
Colne 0 Lancaster City 1
Ossett Town 2 Consett 1
Hyde United 1 Kendal Town 0
Droylsden 4 Colwyn Bay 3
Abbey Hey 3 Altrincham 3
Skelmersdale United 1 Handsworth Parramore 2
Buxton 3 Frickley Athletic 2
Whitley Bay 0 Newcastle Benfield 2
Sunderland RCA 0 Liversedge 0
Mossley AFC 2 1874 Northwich 2
Witton Albion 0 South Shields 2
Halesowen Town 0 Basford United 3
Boston Town 2 Hednesford Town 0
Kempston Rovers 2 Wisbech Town 1
Loughborough Dynamo 1 Stourbridge 3
Market Drayton Town 1 Alvechurch 5
AFC Mansfield 4 Dunkirk 0
Soham Town Rangers 0 Westfields 0
Peterborough Sports 3 Stafford Rangers 4
Rushall Olympic 1 Potton United 0
Sutton Coldfield Town 0 Barwell 2
St Ives Town 1 Coalville Town 0
Grantham Town 2 Holbeach United 1
Haughmond 3 Matlock Town 2
Tividale 2 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 3
Lincoln United 0 Redditch United 1
Shepshed Dynamo 6 Leek Town 1
Stratford Town 4 Newcastle Town 0
King's Lynn Town 4 Coleshill Town 1
Mickleover Sports 2 Hinckley AFC 1
Boldmere St Michaels 0 Chasetown 3
Yaxley 0 Dereham Town 1
Brocton 2 Deeping Rangers 4
Maldon & Tiptree 3 Hayes & Yeading United 3
Tilbury 0 Aylesbury United 1
North Leigh 2 Biggleswade Town 2
Hendon 1 Wingate & Finchley 1
Beaconsfield SYCOB 0 Marlow 2
Colney Heath 3 Cockfosters 0
Berkhamsted 1 Slough Town 3
Clapton 0 Needham Market 3
Royston Town 2 Dunstable Town 0
Bedford Town 0 Lowestoft Town 2
Ware 2 Witham Town 1
Thurrock 1 Harlow Town 1
Hadley 2 FC Romania 3
Great Yarmouth Town 0 Chesham United 2
Hertford Town 1 Grays Athletic 1
Haringey Borough 1 Hitchin Town 1
Potters Bar Town 1 Bishop's Stortford 0
Gorleston 0 Barking 4
Arlesey Town 0 Heybridge Swifts 7
AFC Sudbury 1 Mildenhall Town 1
Aylesbury 1 Leiston 3
Hanwell Town 4 Brightlingsea Regent 1
St Margaretsbury 1 Kidlington 6
Cheshunt 2 Takeley 0
Haverhill Borough 0 Kings Langley 8
Enfield Town 2 Harrow Borough 1
Ashford Town (Middx) 2 Corinthian Casuals 0
Phoenix Sports 2 Eastbourne Town 0
Ramsgate 3 Egham Town 3
Margate 3 East Grinstead Town 1
Faversham Town 3 Tonbridge Angels 1
Crowborough Athletic 2 Sevenoaks Town 0
Dulwich Hamlet 3 Hastings United 1
Tooting & Mitcham United 2 Merstham 0
Thamesmead Town 3 Lewes 0
Herne Bay 3 Walton Casuals 1
Metropolitan Police 3 Staines Town 2
Folkestone Invicta 3 Greenwich Borough 2
Dorking Wanderers 3 Worthing 2
Horsham 6 Ashford United 0
Haywards Heath Town 2 Tunbridge Wells 2
Banstead Athletic 0 Glebe 4
Carshalton Athletic 5 Pagham 3
Leatherhead 6 Cray Valley (PM) 0
Erith Town 0 Burgess Hill Town 3
Hereford 8 Godalming Town 0
Banbury United 4 Tiverton Town 2
Bridport 1 Barnstaple Town 0
Gosport Borough 1 Bridgwater Town 0
Frome Town 2 AFC Totton 1
AFC Portchester 1 Dorchester Town 0
Farnborough 2 Salisbury 3
Odd Down 0 Weymouth 5
Tavistock AFC 2 Taunton Town 2
Merthyr Town 6 Willand Rovers 1
Tuffley Rovers 0 Swindon Supermarine 5
Horndean 0 Bodmin Town 2
Paulton Rovers 1 Winchester City 0
Guildford City 1 Knaphill 3
Basingstoke Town 2 Hartley Wintney 2
Bideford AFC 5 Bishop's Cleeve 1
Hamworthy United 1 Thatcham Town 5
Cinderford Town 2 Moneyfields 1
Andover Town 1 Cadbury Heath 2
Sunday 3rd September
Romulus 0 Kettering Town 3
Romford 0 AFC Hornchurch 1
Baldock Town 4 Thame United 3
Littlehampton Town 2 Chipstead 2
Replays
Monday 4th September
Hitchin Town 1 Haringey Borough 1 (AET, Haringey Borough won 3-2 on penalties)
Tuesday 5th September
Hartley Wintney 1 Basingstoke Town 0
Altrincham 2 Abbey Hey 1
Liversedge 0 Sunderland RCA 4
1874 Northwich 2 Mossley AFC 0
Hayes & Yeading United 4 Maldon & Tiptree 3 (AET)
Biggleswade Town 3 North Leigh 2
Wingate & Finchley 4 Hendon 2 (AET)
Harlow Town 2 Thurrock 1
Mildenhall Town 2 AFC Sudbury 4
Chipstead 4 Littlehampton Town 0
Egham Town 2 Ramsgate 4
Tunbridge Wells 3 Haywards Heath Town 0 (AET)
Taunton Town 1 Tavistock AFC 2
Wednesday 6th September
Grays Athletic 2 Hertford Town 3 (AET)
Westfields 1 Soham Town Rangers 0
So the 116 winning sides now take their place in the Second Qualifying Round along with the 44 sides from the Vanarama North and South Divisions (Step Two in the Non League Pyramid), which makes up the 80 ties in the round.
And without further ado here are those fixtures in full (ties to take place 15th/16th/17th September)
Second Qualifying Round
Salford City VS York City
Darlington_ VS South Shields
Southport VS Bradford (Park Avenue)
Ossett Town VS Atherton Collieries
Newcastle Benfield VS Ashton United
Warrington Town VS Hyde United
Harrogate Town VS Penistone Church
Spennymoor Town VS Gainsborough Trinity
Handsworth Parramore VS FC United Of Manchester
Albion Sports VS Ashton Athletic
Shildon VS Altrincham
Scarborough Athletic VS Sunderland RCA
Blyth Spartans AFC VS Shaw Lane Association
1874 Northwich_ VS North Ferriby United
Stockport County VS Curzon Ashton
Stalybridge Celtic VS Chorley
Lancaster City VS Droylsden
Stafford Rangers VS Tamworth
Boston United VS Haughmond
Shepshed Dynamo VS Nantwich Town
Deeping Rangers VS Kidderminster Harriers
AFC Mansfield VS Rushall Olympic
Kempston Rovers VS Hereford
Stratford Town VS Redditch United
AFC Telford United VS Barwell
Nuneaton Town VS King's Lynn Town
Kettering Town VS Kidsgrove Athletic
Basford United VS Mickleover Sports
Alfreton Town VS AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Westfields VS Leamington
Grantham Town VS Alvechurch
Buxton VS Chasetown
Stourbridge VS St Ives Town
Dereham Town VS Boston Town
Leiston VS Crowborough Athletic
Concord Rangers VS Tunbridge Wells
Braintree Town VS Royston Town
AFC Sudbury VS Chipstead
Biggleswade Town VS East Thurrock United
St Albans City VS Cambridge City
Horsham VS Herne Bay
Hemel Hempstead Town VS Wingate & Finchley
Lowestoft Town VS Harlow Town
Metropolitan Police VS Heybridge Swifts
Chelmsford City VS Ramsgate
Ware VS Leatherhead
Kings Langley VS Margate
Thamesmead Town VS Billericay Town
Baldock Town VS Aylesbury United
Hertford Town VS AFC Hornchurch
Glebe VS Phoenix Sports
FC Romania VS Hayes & Yeading United
Kingstonian VS Brackley Town
Eastbourne Borough VS Carshalton Athletic
Folkestone Invicta VS Tooting & Mitcham United
Cheshunt VS Dorking Wanderers
Wealdstone VS Faversham Town
Colney Heath VS Burgess Hill Town
Welling United VS Haringey Borough
Dartford VS Barking
Hampton & Richmond Borough VS Potters Bar Town
Whitehawk VS Oxford City
Marlow VS Ashford Town (Middx)
Needham Market VS Chesham United
Slough Town VS Dulwich Hamlet
Hanwell Town VS Enfield Town
Havant & Waterlooville VS Merthyr Town
Bodmin Town VS Bideford AFC
Bridport VS Cadbury Heath
Gosport Borough VS Swindon Supermarine
Bognor Regis Town VS Weston Super Mare
Cinderford Town VS Hartley Wintney
Tavistock AFC VS Frome Town
Weymouth VS Chippenham Town
Banbury United VS Thatcham Town
Bath City VS Knaphill
Truro City VS AFC Portchester
Salisbury VS Poole Town
Paulton Rovers VS Kidlington
Gloucester City VS Hungerford Town
I will of course be at Theobalds Lane, Cheshunt FC, for FC Romania Vs Hayes & Yeading United. FCR have so far battled past Waltham Forest, Long Melford and Hadley to reach this stage, whilst Hayes & Yeading defeated Brimscombe & Thrupp and Maldon & Tiptree to reach this stage of the competition. And although the hosts are one step below their visiting opponents they have every chance of winning this tie. It proves to be an exciting afternoon at Theobalds Lane on Sunday 17th September.
I'll be back with a review of that game plus a full results round up of the Second Qualifying Round once it's all done n dusted. And obviously I'll bring you the full draw for the Third Qualifying Round, with that draw taking place on Monday 18th September, and look ahead to my next featured game also. So for now cheerio and enjoy whatever cup tie you go to.
No comments:
Post a Comment