A big FA Cup extravaganza!

The FA Cup is at that interesting stage where the promised land of the First Round Proper is tantalisingly close. A number of our clubs face Third Qualifying Round challenges tomorrow- with one exception. Let’s go through the ties in alphabetical order.

We start at Metropolitan Police. Note we said ‘at’ rather than ‘with-’ because, of course, not only are Met Police no longer one of our sides, they aren’t playing, either! They are playing host, however, to Corinthian-Casuals, who face St Albans City in a Second Qualifying Round replay at Imber Court. The match was moved because Casuals share their own ground with Kingstonian, who take on Folkestone Invicta in the Bostik Premier Division at the same time this match is due to kick off.

Bath City host Lewes, with the Rooks looking to bounce back against the side in eighth place in National League South after losing their first game since August on Wednesday night. Lewes have a few suspensions to deal with, and face a City side who lost at home the last time out, but won their previous four home matches and defeated Banbury United in the last round.

Whitehawk travel to Billericay Town. Our reigning Bostik Premier Division champions have adapted well to life a league higher, sitting top of National League South with only two defeats so far this season. Hawks fans will be looking forward to a reunion with their former favourite Jake Robinson, but will be hoping he does them a favour and fails to find the net!

Perhaps the most enthralling tie of the day will be at the Taydal, where Brightlingsea Regent take on Torquay United. The Devon Gulls- look out for their large seagull mascot, and hide your chips- aren’t the force they used to be, sitting 13th in National League South, but are unbeaten since appointing Gary Johnson as manager and won 7-0 against Lymington Town in the last round. They won’t, however, have fond memories of the last time they took on a Bostik League club in a cup competition, as Bognor Regis Town dumped them out of the FA Trophy at the Quarter Final stage three seasons ago.

Dorking Wanderers and a coachload of supporters will also be heading to a National League South destination, that of Gloucester City- but they won’t be heading to Gloucester unless they get badly lost, as City these days share at Evesham United. City are currently in a little turmoil, having lost their manager Marc Richards to Hereford earlier this week, and their form has been inconsistent of late, with two wins, two draws and two defeats during the last few weeks. They drew 2-2 at home to Eastbourne Borough last weekend.

AFC Hornchurch will take their fine form to the Beveree, home of another side in fine form, Hampton & Richmond Borough, of course now managed by former Bostik favourite Gary McCann. The Beavers had won six matches in a row prior to last weekend, when they fell at home to Billericay Town, and defeated Burgess Hill Town 3-0 in the last round. Mind you, the Urchins also beat Burgess Hill 3-0 recently, so shouldn’t be overawed.

We have an all-Bostik tie as Haringey Borough host AFC Sudbury. Borough had won four straight matches before defeat against Harlow Town in midweek, whilst Sudbury beat Bognor Regis Town in the last round and followed that up with a defeat at home to Egham Town in the FA Trophy, so they are undoubtedly capable of causing an upset but they will need to find some consistency to do so. Borough did the double over them in the North Division last season.

Ramsgate travel to a Hemel Hempstead Town side who have won their last three games, including the last round of the Cup when they thrashed six goals past Bowers & Pitsea. The Rams shouldn’t be overawed, as they’ve only lost one of their last seven and defeated a higher placed club in Gosport Borough in the last round.

Hastings United will fancy their chances as they travel to Hitchin Town. Hitchin are third bottom of Southern Premier Central, haven’t won a match in open play since August 25th, and have only scored more than one goal on one occasion this season. United, of course, have won ten of their eleven matches so far this season, losing only to Hythe Town, and knocked out Leiston, in fourth place in Town’s division, in the last round.

Horsham host Poole Town, in eighth place in Southern Premier South, at Lancing FC, and will find their opponents buoyed by a six-nil win over Farnborough in midweek. But the Hornets have been showing fine form of their own recently, with five wins from the last six, and will be hoping to show more of that in our #Bostikmatchday feature tomorrow. The headline images shows Hornets fans after victory at carshalton Athletic in an earlier round.

We’ve another all-Bostik clash as Premier Division Leatherhead host South Central Division Hanwell Town. The Tanners have had a slow start to the season but are undefeated in three, whilst Hanwell defeated another Step Three side, Lowestoft Town, in the last round so should not be underestimated.

Worthing travel to Moneyfields of Southern League Division One South, conquerors of Hayes & Yeading United in the last round. The Portsmouth club won’t have the backing of the Pompey chimes tomorrow as Portsmouth are also at home, but their form has been good of late and they won’t be afraid of taking on another Bostik club, having already defeated two this season (Thamesmead Town were the others). Worthing, of course, are flying at the moment, and a win at Lewes- with ten men- on Wednesday night will mean that their mood is positive as they enter this clash.

Finally, Coggeshall Town- lest we forget in their first ever FA Cup campaign- travel to the seaside to take on Weston-Super-Mare. The National South club have been having a bit of a super-mare of their own this season, sitting bottom of the table without a league victory- and indeed their only victory of any kind came against Salisbury in the last round. Town have lost only one of their last eleven, so despite the two division gap won’t be short of confidence.