Horsham slay giants in the cup, Billericay face a replay- whilst in the Premier, it’s a good day to be a Scholar!

Emirates FA Cup

Horsham welcomed National League Dorking Wanderers in an A24 derby, and the Hornets had a fine first half as they looked to slay that giant. Daniel Ajakaiye made the breakthrough six minutes before the break, and it was two-nil within a minute, Shamir Fenelon doubling the home advantage. Most of the one thousand, nine hundred and eighty packing the Camping World Community Stadium were roaring on the hosts, and they were still roaring at full time, the Hornets in the First Round once more.

Image: Butterfly Football

Cray Valley PM have become regular giant killers of late- indeed over the last fortnight they’ve knocked Premier Division Carshalton Athletic out of two different cup competitions. They welcomed Athletic’s Premier rivals Enfield Town, and the Towners looked to have learned a lesson from the Robins travails, taking the lead after only six minutes through Marcus Wyllie, the striker taking his tally for the season up to nine. The Millers were level on twenty five minutes, however, Kyrell Lisbie keeping up his impressive run in front of goal with his ninth of the season- but the Towners were quickly back at the other end and Reece Beckles-Richards restored their lead. Just before the break Lisbie did it again, delivering a second equaliser, and the Millers then went ahead, Freddie Parker making it three-two on sixty four minutes. With five minutes to go the Towners hopes disappeared, a red card for Sam Youngs seeing them down to ten men- and the Millers quickly took advantage and turned a win into a rout, Parker adding number four and Adam Coombes making it five. That was that, the Millers into the First Round.

Lewes were at National League Aldershot Town, and it didn’t look to be the Rooks day when they conceded in the eleventh and fourteenth minutes, but they got one back immediately after the restart, Tommy Wood giving the travelling hordes hope. Sadly that hope was removed when the Shots added a third ten minutes later, and they got a fourth right at the end.

Billericay Town hosted Pitching In Isthmian South East side Sheppey United, the Ites looking to slay another giant. They visitors had a fine start to that quest, Dan Bradshaw putting them ahead after just nine minutes, but the Blues levelled just before the break through Frankie Merrifield. Try as they might neither side could add to the score, and they’ll meet again in Kent in midweek.

The Draw for the First Round is on ITV at 2.30 PM today.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Chatham Town welcomed Carshalton Athletic, the hosts looking to narrow the gap on leaders Hornchurch, who play tomorrow. The Chats seemed to be over their recent blip, and Jack Evans put them ahead midway through the first half, but the Robins were quickly level from the spot, Olu Babajide holding his nerve, and the visitors were ahead before the break, Lexus Beeden up from the back to finish. Two minutes from time the Chats got an equaliser, Ashley Nzala with the goal- and that was the last goal of the afternoon, Chatham in second, Athletic in third, Hornchurch three/five points ahead of the two sides behind them.

One thousand, seven hundred and fifty eight watched the match- and it wasn’t our biggest crowd of the day.

Whitehawk took an unbeaten league run stretching back to August 15th into their match with Hashtag United, and went ahead on twenty six minutes, Imran Kayani with his second Hawks goal. It looked as if the points were wrapped up, but as it turned out the last moments were teniola time, Alex Teniola popping up to level for the Tags. The Hawks are fourth.

Hastings United have been struggling for goals and points of late, and they went behind on the stroke of half time as they welcomed Wingate & Finchley, Elliot Long opening the scoring for the Blues. Long had an absolute red hot six minutes, as within six minutes of the restart he had his hat trick, making it three-nil to the visitors- but the hosts then got one back, Tayo Oyebola giving them hope. That hope was heightened when David Rodari scored from the spot to make it two-three, and United had half an hour to find another, inspired by the vast majority of the nine hundred and forty one watching on. Sadly for the home crowd the scoring ended there, Wingate closing to within a point of their hosts.

It took Potters Bar Town only one minute to open the scoring at Haringey Borough, Ore Bello scoring his first goal for the club- and the Scholars went two up just after the hour, the same player doing the damage once more. It was certainly Bello’s day, he grabbed his hat trick with four minutes left, and the Scholars took their unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions. Borough remain rock bottom and winless in the League.

Folkestone Invicta knew they wouldn’t have another home match for a month, so hoped to make the most of their game against Cheshunt- but the stripes fell behind on twenty five minutes, Solomon Baugh with the opener, and scoring in his second successive away match. The hosts levelled six minutes before half time, Luke Holness with the equaliser, and then they took the lead, Ibrahim Olutade making it two-one. They held onto their advantage, and climbed to sixth.

Dulwich Hamlet went ahead against Kingstonian almost immediately after the referee signalled the start of the second half, Danny Mills opening the scoring. The hosts quickly added another, Ayuk Tarh with that one, and with twenty three minutes left the points looked assured, Luke Wanadio making it three. The K’s then hit back, Mark Waters making it three-one, and right at the end Niran Butler added another for the visitors, but Hamlet held on and climb out of the bottom four.

The crowd at Champion Hill was three thousand, one hundred and ninety one.

Bognor Regis Town and Concord Rangers got to the break without a goal at Nyewood Lane, but a goal did eventually arrive, and it went to the Rocks, Jasper Mather breaking the deadlock with sixteen minutes left. The next goal was critical, and it also went to the Rocks, Dan Smith making it two-nil with nine minutes left, sending them up to ninth.

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