Borough win the battle of the Borough’s, the Urchins down the Angels, and Maldon do what Maldon do best

It was an up and down sort of night in the FA Trophy, with a mixture of magnificent victories and valiant defeats. We’ll start our round up with the former, and head to Coles Park, where Haringey Borough were taking on the side in fifth place in National League South- Eastbourne Borough. Rakim Richards put the hosts ahead after only a quarter of an hour, and from then onwards it was the Roman Michael-Percil show, as the Haringey number seven got two goals in nine minutes just before and after the break to make things safe. The visitors goal came in the last minute, and went to Greg Luer, who you might remember from his part in the record-breaking Burgess Hill Town title win and FA Cup run of 2014-15. The Sports forward left the Hillians for Hull City, but is now back in Sussex.

Hornchurch travelled to face familiar opponents, our former favourites Tonbridge Angels playing host to the Urchins. Hornchurch had lost only one of their last seven going into the match, and now it’s one of eight, as Joe Christou got the only goal of the game in the very last minute to knock out the National League South side.

Maldon and Tiptree have defeated so many higher-ranked sides over the last two seasons that it’s almost become the norm, which might come as slight consolation to Bognor Regis Town, who are the latest members of a club which had already admitted Enfield Town, Kingstonian, Haringey Borough and Braintree Town this season alone. It looked good for the visiting Rocks when Harvey Whyte put them ahead just after the break, but the hosts soon equalised through William Cracknell and then right at the death Shomari Barnwell got the winner- his sixth in six matches. Our headline image is of Jammers celebrations, and comes courtesy of the club.

And now for the less positive news. At Parkside last season’s Trophy heroes Aveley hosted Chesham United, and found themselves with an uphill struggle after they went down to ten men only twenty six minutes in, Darrelle Russell seeing red. They were a goal down by then, two down after an hour, and although they fought hard and reduced the deficit from the spot eight minutes from time through Freddie Gard, the visitors held on and increased their lead further right at the end, the final score one-three.

Bracknell Town had already slain a giant, having defeated Salisbury in the last round, and welcomed another, as Havant and Waterlooville arrived at Larges Lane. The seventh placed side in National League were pushed all the way by our Robins, for whom Seb Bowerman scored twice, but sadly the Hawks managed three of their own to depart victorious. You can view Neil Graham's images of that match here.

Cheshunt visited our old friends Dulwich Hamlet in fabulous form, but couldn’t quite fine enough to overcome the side in pink and blue. Anderson Pinto did score for the Ambers- that goal making it five in just four matches- but sadly Hamlet already had three by then.

St Albans City sit proudly at the top of the National League South table, with twenty points from their last twenty four and only two goals conceded during those eight matches- and although Cray Wanderers fought hard they couldn’t match their hosts. After a goalless first half, the Saints came out in the second half and fired in three.

Finally, Burgess Hill Town travelled to face Welwyn Garden City, in mid table in Pitching In Southern Division One Central, and having already defeated two Sussex sides in the competition this season, knocking out Hill’s local rivals Haywards Heath Town and perhaps more impressively defeating Premier Division Horsham in the Third Qualifying Round. Their list of Sussex scalps is now up to three, Nathan Cooper’s goal seventeen minutes before the end of the match giving the Hillians hope, but ultimately they could find an equaliser- City getting two in the first half.