A Premier- and Cup- round up

Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round

On Friday night two Chris Whelpdale goals, one in each half, were enough for Lewes to defeat Ascot United at the Racecourse Ground. The Yellas were anything but pushovers, an own goal getting them back into the game before they laid siege to the Rooks goal during the last half an hour, but the visitors held on. It was our featured match, and you can read all about it here.

Brightlingsea Regent vs Billericay Town looked, on current form, to promise a thriller. Regent have bounced back from their relegation to start the season at top speed, and had so far played seven matches in all competitions and won them all, as well as keeping five clean sheets along the way. They were ahead in this one after eighteen minutes, but they didn’t have to score, the travelling Blues did it for them. The visitors immediately struck back by scoring at the right end, Bradley Stevenson making it one-one, and they were ahead just after the half hour, Moses Emmanuel completing the turnaround. Ade Azeez gave the visitors some daylight with twenty five minutes left, and that was that, as Town progress.

Canvey Island welcomed National League South side Braintree Town to the MovieStarr Stadium. The Gulls start to the season had been rather stop/start, and they were still looking for consistency, whilst you could say very much the same about their visitors, who had become the draw specialists of their Division but were undefeated in three. The Gulls went ahead just before the break, Mason Hall opening the scoring, the visitors levelling just after the hour, and that was that. Replay required.

Carshalton Athletic welcomed Kingstonian in an all-Premier tie. The Robins have had a fine start to the campaign, and came into this one unbeaten and scoring for fun. They defeated the K’s in the league at Imperial Fields as recently as August Bank Holiday Monday in a five goal thriller, and had won each one of their four home matches this season, so it was little surprise when Tommy Bradford put them ahead just before the break. Bradford doubled their advantage just after the hour, and with twenty minutes left Danny Bassett added a third. Right at the end it was four, Ashley Koroma with that one nine minutes after emerging from the bench. Image from jonnyexcellphotos.

Dover Athletic of National League South played host to an in-form Hastings United. The visitors were unbeaten in eight matches so far this season, but they would have to come from behind to retain that record after Athletic went ahead from the spot on eleven minutes. They soon knew they’d have to do it with ten men, Sam Okay seeing red, and Athletic went two up with twenty five minutes left. It was three-nil thirteen minutes from time, and although Femi Akinwande got his seventh of the season with four minutes remaining and there was still time for Tyler Christian-Law to get a second, the United cup run came to an end.

Enfield Town took only four minutes to go ahead as they hosted Felixstowe and Walton United, Sam Youngs converting a penalty- and it took them only four more minutes to double their advantage, Oliver Knight with the second. It quickly got worse for the Seasiders, Joseph Payne making it three-nil on fourteen minutes, but they stemmed the tide and managed not to concede any more. Not that the Towners faithful would be disappointed with a three-nil win.

Haringey Borough have become experts in conceding late goals so far this season, and hoped to put that right as National League South Tonbridge Angels travel to White Hart Lane. Borough went ahead from the spot eight minutes before the break, Matthew Young holding his nerve, but the visitors were quickly level- Joe Turner, a former member of our Isthmian Premier Team of the Year with the equaliser. Borough were ahead once more just before half time, and it was Young once more with the goal- and it looked as if a giantkilling was likely as Young got his hat trick with nineteen minutes remaining. Angels weren’t prepared to give up, and got one back with fifteen minutes left, but the hosts then added a fourth, Walter Figueira surely making sure with seven minutes left. Borough march on, and perhaps the victory will kickstart their campaign.

Hashtag United welcomed Needham Market. The Pitching In Southern Premier Marketmen were in fine form, nine matches unbeaten in all competitions, and they went ahead six minutes after the break. That turned out to be the only goal.

Horsham have had a positive start to the campaign, and the Hornets sit in sixth place in Pitching In Isthmian Premier. With only one defeat in their last seven they’ve been in good form, and they went ahead against Pitching In Isthmian South Central promotion hopefuls Marlow, Charlie Harris opening the scoring on twenty one minutes. Marlow have also been on a very good run, and the visitors levelled through Joshua Boorn just after the half hour, but they weren’t level for long before James Hammond restored the lead for the Hornets. Marlow weren’t prepared to roll over- a fact which surprised nobody- and after Aaron Watkins had saved a Horsham penalty the visitors drew level once more on sixty five minutes, Naheer-Omar Nawaf making it two-two. Seven hundred and thirty nine watched on, and many of them will be heading to Berkshire in midweek to watch the two sides do it again.

Margate and Folkestone Invicta met at Hartsdown Park in another all-Premier clash. The two sides met as recently as August Bank Holiday Monday, Invicta triumphing two-nil, and the Stripes had won the previous three times the sides have faced each other so will have approached the game with confidence- and it showed, Ibrahim Olutade taking only three minutes to open the scoring. A red card early in the second half for Invicta’s Ryan Khanye boosted the hosts, and most of the six hundred and ninety two watching on, and they drew level with sixteen minutes left, Steve Cawley with the equaliser, his fourth goal of the season. The ten men didn’t lie down, and with only three minutes left Andre Coker restored their lead, but deep into added time Antonis Vasiliou made it two-two and earn a replay.

Whitehawk welcomed Redhill. The Hawks were seven games unbeaten, whilst the visitors had already knocked out three of our sides- but it didn’t look like they’d manage Tod defeat a fourth. Charlie Lambert putting the hosts ahead after just five minutes. On twenty six minutes Charlie Walker’s fourth of the campaign doubled their advantage, and Walker added another on the hour to make quite sure of victory. It was four-nil with seventeen minutes left, Imran Kayani with that one, and that was that, the Hawks flying through.

Witham Town had the rather unenviable task of taking on Hornchurch, the Urchins unbeaten and having scored twelve goals in their previous three matches. The visitors went ahead after just seven minutes, Lewwis Spence with the goal, and doubled their lead nine minutes before the break through Ade Yusuff. It got worse for Witham, as they saw Rowan Dorling sent off, and rather unsurprisingly the Urchins soon made it three, George Saunders with that one. Jeffrey Cobblah has been in fine form for Town, and got one back on fifty seven minutes, but the gap was soon three goals once more, Yusuff getting his second of the afternoon. Yusuff added another to clinch his hat trick two minutes from time, and the match ended with a five-one Hornchurch victory.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

With most of our Premier sides in Cup action, we had only two Pitching In Isthmian Premier matches this weekend- but Chatham Town had the chance to reattach the wheels to their promotion challenge as they headed to Potters Bar Town. The Chats did manage to increase their lead at the top to two points, but they had to settle for one point and no goals as neither side managed to score. The Scholars pick up their first point of the campaign.

Cheshunt had become our narrow defeat specialists, with only one win from their six league matches prior to the visit of Bognor Regis Town- but we knew that striker- and golden boot winner- Nnamdi Nwachuku would soon come good for the Ambers, and he opened the scoring on nineteen minutes. Nwachuku was a goal machine for AFC Sudbury last season, and had been very much the same for Marlow and Coggeshall Town prior to his time as a Yellow, and he had his second as an Amber three minutes before half time. The hat trick was complete eight minutes after the break, although the Rocks narrowed the gap from the spot with nineteen minutes left, Dan Gifford with the goal. The game ended with fifteen added minutes, but no added goals. The Ambers climb to fifteenth.

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