FA Cup Preliminary Round
Saturday 12th September
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Burgess Hill Town VOID Hollands & Blair
Deal Town 4-1 Sittingbourne
Erith & Belvedere 1-1 Alford (E&B win on pens)
Newhaven 1-2 Corinthian
Sheppey Utd 4-1 Uxbridge
Stansfeld 2-3 Little Common
Tooting & Mitcham 2-2 Fisher (Fisher win on pens)
Tunbridge Wells 1-1 Beckenham Town (Tun Wells win on pens)
Westside 0-2 Chatham Town
Whyteleafe 4-0 Bearsted
7 SCEFL sides will be in the Monday’s First Qualifying Round draw on a super day for our teams in the FA Cup.
By comparison only two reached the same stage last year so today’s results were definitely something to be celebrated. – And at 7 grounds they were!
The Total Power Stadium certainly would have hosted some celeberations following Sheppey United’s 4-1 win over Step 4 side Uxbridge. Jack Midson scored twice for the ‘Ites’ inbetween goals from Harrison Carnegie and Richie Hamill as Sheppey booked their place in the next round draw.
As did Deal Town, who also beat higher level opposition 4-1. The Hoops got off to the perfect start at the Charles Ground with Macauley Murray scoring in the first minute and from there they never looked back with Ben Chapman, Jack Paxman and Kane Smith netting before Kane Rowland hit a consolation effort for the Brickies.
Corinthian avoided another penalty shoot-out by just 4 minutes when Frankie Morgan scored a late winner at Newhaven. Alexander Jack Billings had given Corinthian a 44th minute lead before Henry Watson headed the hosts level mid way through the second half. It looked like the Hoops were heading to their second shoot-out in a week until Morgan popped up, netted an 86th minute winner and put his side through to the First Qualifying Round of this historic competition.
Chatham Town had a more comfortable route to the next stage than most. Jack Evans relaxed any Chats nerves with an early opener with Moses Abioye doubling the scoreline on the hour mark. Two away games and two 2-0 wins for Chatham Town in the FA Cup this year.
Three SCEFL sides progressed on penalties with just Beckenham Town losing out on spot kicks after they drew 1-1 at League counterparts Tunbridge Wells.
Becks had taken the lead at the Culverden with Ayo Bolarinwa scoring in the 37th minute but Wells quickly levelled thanks to a Robbie Bissett strike.
With the score still 1-1 at full time and no extra time to be played the game went to penalties with the hosts coming out on top 4-1 to go through.
Erith & Belvedere also won on spot kicks following a 1-1 draw after Marlon Patterson had cancelled out a late Alford FC opener. Both sides missed several penalties before the Deres eventually won out and it is them that will now eagerly await the draw on Monday afternoon.
South London is the Black and White of Fisher tonight, after Ajay Ashanike’s side held their nerve best from the spot to get past Tooting & Mitcham.
An impressive total of 93 travelling Fish fans made up a crowd of 398, creating a terrific atmosphere for FA Cup football. Fisher had to twice come from behind to eventually win through but they did it thanks to equalisers from Christian Udo and Josh Biddlecombe.
That led to a penalty shoot out from where Tooting could only score 1 of their 4 kicks taken giving our SCEFL side the win and a place in the next round draw.
Stansfeld and Bearsted both suffered FA Cup defeats with the Bears losing 4-0 at Whyteleafe and Stansfeld coming off second best in a 5 goal thriller at home to Little Common.
Hollands & Blair await official confirmation from the FA as to what the result will be from their tie with Burgess Hill Town.
Burgess Hill had an outbreak of COVID confirmed within their squad so Blair made the decision not to travel to the game for safety reasons.
The FA Cup First Qualifying round will take place on Monday with the games being held on Tuesday 22nd September.
Main Photo: Dave Anderson