Coventry City 2 Maidenhead United 0
Two goals from Jordan Ponticelli was enough to send the Sky Blues through to the second round of the FA Cup after a 2-0 win over Maidenhead United.
Jack Grimmer and Jodi Jones both chipped in with the assists on what was a comfortable afternoon for the home side.
The Sky Blues were presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead after just ten minutes.
Carl Pentney in the Maidenhead goal, scuffed his clearance straight into the path of Ponticelli who found Marc McNulty in the area with defenders scrambling back to clear off the line and it was Jake Goodman who hooked it clear.
McNulty was looking confident after scoring the opener last weekend and fired a thunderous effort just off the top of the crossbar from range.
City had the laead after half an hour. Jack Grimmer, who had been the stand-out player all afternoon raced down the right channel before cutting inside and finding Ponticelli on the penalty spot, in enough space for him to curl the ball into the far top corner.
Mark Robins' side doubled their lead just before half time. Jodi Jones skipped a number of Maidenhead challenges before making the most of a defensive error to find Ponticelli in space again to fire home his and the Sky Blues' second of the afternoon.
Half time saw the introdction of Max Biamou in place of Peter Vincenti, and the Frenchman foudn Jones in on goal almost straight away but the former Dagenham man was unlucky not to see his cut back find its way to the on-rushing McNulty.
McNulty appeared desperate to get on the scoresheet all afternoon, and did well to rise to Jones' cross on the hour mark but the former Pompey man headed just over.
Magpies striker Adrian Clifton found himself with Maidenhead's best chance of the afternoon with twenty minutes to go. The forward charged in on goal but sent his effort high over the bar from a tight angle.
Report and photo taken from www.ccfc.co.uk
So it's the Sky Blues who do a professional job on Maidenhead United and make it through to Round Two. Sadly I wasn't able to make the Ricoh Arena due to travel issues out of Euston Station so instead I had to change plans and head over to The Valley for Charlton Athletic Vs Truro City in another First Round tie, and here is how that game went:-
Charlton Athletic 3 Truro City 1
Two Ben Reeves strikes helped the Addicks see off a plucky Truro City at The Valley to reach the Second Round Proper of the Emirates FA Cup.
The League One hosts went into this one as favourites due to their four step advantage over their Vanarama South opponents from Cornwall, but this is the cup and backed by almost 1,000 of their own fans they Truro were well up for the challenge.
The hosts created the first chance in the seventh minute when Forster-Caskey saw his header tipped onto the bar by Truro keeper McHale whilst two minutes later Charlton keeper Amos had to keep out a header from Harvey.
But on ten minutes the League One hosts grabbed the lead when a ball into the box found Reeves totally unmarked in the middle of the area and he smashed home and give the Addicks an ideal start.
Two minutes later Holmes went on a great run for the hosts and after driving into the box saw his cross shot deflected wide for a corner whilst down the other end in the 19th minute Keats tried his luck from range but it was easy for Amos in hosts goal.
However Truro were so close to an equaliser midway through the half as Richards saw an effort cleared off the line and just before the half hour Holmes struck one over the Truro bar, but it had been the visitors that had been the better side in the last few minutes of the contest.
In the 33rd minute a decent chance for Truro saw defender Gerring send a header straight at Amos and then barely a minute later down the other end Forster-Caskey forced a decent save from McHale.
Holmes saw a free kick tipped wide by Truro keeper McHale two minutes before the break but at the half the League One side only had a one goal lead and knew they were in a game. Next goal was going to be crucial.
Half Time Charlton Athletic 1 Truro City 0
That next goal went to the hosts eight minutes into the second period and gave them some breathing space as Marshall cut inside and struck an effort which took a huge deflection, wrong footing McHale, and thumping into the back of the net.
The Addicks went for a killer third and two minutes later saw great play by Holmes eventually see him fire an effort straight at McHale before a terrific run by DeSilva saw him play in Marshall, but it was straight at McHale.
Truro though rallied and fired an effort straight at Amos and then on the hour mark got themselves right back into the tie when after both teams had efforts saved, Harvey headed a downward effort into the corner and sent the 996 Truro fans behind that goal wild.
Charlton tried to grab a quick third to try and settle the home sides nerves and in the 65th minute Fosu, just on as a substitute for the hosts, cut inside but saw McHale get down well to save his effort, but with twenty minutes left they did find a third when Reeves played a one two with Holmes and fired home via McHale’s hand to settle the tense feeling amongst the home crowd.
With fifteen minutes remaining it should of been four as a lovely lofted ball over the Truro defence found Forster-Caskey in acres of space, but he could only drill his effort wide, but Truro weren’t giving up and with eleven minutes left saw a good move result in a Neal effort being saved before another Truro attack saw another effort blocked, with the resulting corner seeing centre half Gerring head just wide.
With Truro throwing men forward they left themselves vunrable to a pacey Addicks counter attack, but the hosts made a right mess of a couple whilst Truro saw a miskick inside the hosts area trying to grab a second, and a crazy passage of play ended with the hosts passing up another opportunity.
With four minutes left Forster-Caskey somehow missed from close range as Charlton continued to look for a fourth, and two minutes later Fosu cut inside but sent an effort miles wide. Truro were looking out on their feet, but they had given everything in this one.
They so nearly found a second in stoppage time when Harvey saw an effort tipped onto the hosts bar, and from this Charlton broke through Holmes, but his effort was well saved by McHale at his near post.
And that was the last piece of action in this one and saw the League One hosts prevail but only after one hell of a tussle with the Vanarama South visitors who had done their club proud, just like the wonderful support received behind the goal all game.
But it is Charlton Athletic who will be in that Second Round Proper draw on Monday evening.
Full Time Charlton Athletic 3 Truro City 1
So in the end I managed to see a First Round tie, all be it not the one I set out to see on Sunday morning!!!
That monday evening draw saw Coventry City drawn at home again, this time to National League side Boreham Wood, who dumped Blackpool out in the First Round, so it proves to be a decent game that, lets hope I actually make it this time round!!! Charlton Athletic were drawn away to AFC Wimbledon for anyone who is interested, would of been ironic had Coventry and Charlton been drawn against each other after what happened!!!
Anyway here are the First Round Proper results in full:-
Friday 3rd November
Port Vale 2 Oxford United 0
Notts County 4 Bristol Rovers 2
Hyde United 0 Milton Keynes Dons 4
Saturday 4th November
Shaw Lane 1 Mansfield Town 3
Stevenage 5 Nantwich Town 0
Bradford City 2 Chesterfield 0
Morecambe 3 Hartlepool United 0
Yeovil Town 1 Southend United 0
Peterborough United 1 Tranmere Rovers 1
Forest Green Rovers 1 Macclesfield Town 0
AFC Fylde 4 Kidderminster Harriers 2
Luton Town 1 Portsmouth 0
Shrewsbury Town 5 Aldershot Town 0
Hereford 1 AFC Telford United 0
Blackburn Rovers 3 Barnet 1
Ebbsfleet United 2 Doncaster Rovers 6
Boreham Wood 2 Blackpool 1
Colchester United 0 Oxford City 1
Plymouth Argyle 1 Grimsby Town 0
AFC Wimbledon 1 Lincoln City 0
Rochdale 4 Bromley 0
Carlisle United 3 Oldham Athletic 2
Cheltenham Town 2 Maidstone United 4
Crewe Alexandra 2 Rotherham United 1
Gillingham 2 Leyton Orient 1
Gainsborough Trinity 0 Slough Town 6
Northampton Town 0 Scunthorpe United 0
Wigan Athletic 2 Crawley Town 1
Gateshead 2 Chelmsford City 0
Newport County 2 Walsall 1
Sunday 5th November
Cambridge United 1 Sutton United 0
Guiseley AFC 0 Accrington Stanley 0
Leatherhead 1 Billericay Town 1
Coventry City 2 Maidenhead United 0
Dartford 1 Swindon Town 5
Woking 1 Bury 1
Solihull Moors 0 Wycombe Wanderers 2
Charlton Athletic 3 Truro City 1
Exeter City 3 Heybridge Swifts 1
Monday 6th November
Chorley 1 Fleetwood Town 2
Replays
Tuesday 14th November
Accrington Stanley 1 Guiseley AFC 1 (AET, Guiseley AFC won 4-3 on penalties)
Bury 0 Woking 3
Scunthorpe United 1 Northampton Town 0
Wednesday 15th November
Tranmere Rovers 0 Peterborough United 5
Thursday 16th November
Billericay Town 1 Leatherhead 3
So ten non league sides made it through to the Second Round Proper and were included in the draw for the final round before the big boys enter from the Barclays Premier League and Championship.
And here is that Second Round Proper draw in full:-
Friday 1st December
AFC Fylde VS Wigan Athletic
Saturday 2nd December
Notts County VS Oxford City
Milton Keynes Dons VS Maidstone United
Port Vale VS Yeovil Town
Shrewsbury Town VS Morecambe
Stevenage VS Swindon Town
Bradford City VS Plymouth Argyle
Gillingham VS Carlisle United
Forest Green Rovers VS Exeter City
Fleetwood Town VS Hereford
Sunday 3rd December
Woking VS Peterborough United
Newport County VS Cambridge United
Wycombe Wanderers VS Leatherhead
Doncaster Rovers VS Scunthorpe United
AFC Wimbledon VS Charlton Athletic
Mansfield Town VS Guiseley AFC
Gateshead VS Luton Town
Blackburn Rovers VS Crewe Alexandra
Coventry City VS Boreham Wood
Monday 4th December
Slough Town VS Rochdale
That concludes the First Round Proper, I'll be back (hopefully) with a report from the Ricoh Arena as well as a results round up and Third Round draw in my next blog towards mid december time.
