Swifts and Sittingbourne slay giants, Marketmen show their mettle

Look out Exeter City!

That's the message sent by Heybridge Swifts to the Grecians prior to their FA Cup First Round match at St James Park on Saturday, as they warmed up by knocking Premier Division Tonbridge Angels out of the FA Trophy. Following a thrilling 3-3 draw between the sides at the weekend Swifts welcomed Angels to the Aspen Waite Arena last night, and shortly after the interval a Luke Callander double put them two goals to the good. Alex Akrofi reduced the arrears with nine minutes to go, but Swifts held on and will now travel to Dorchester Town in the Second Qualifying Round.

Sittingbourne and Merstham played out a 1-1 draw at Woodstock Park on Saturday, and the Moatsiders must have been the favourites to progress in last night's replay at the Specsavers Stadium, but second half goals from Ben Gorham and Kane Phillip ensured that it would be the Brickies who would take on Haringey Borough in the next round.

Goals from Jared Small, Reece Dobson, Alex Read and Junior Dadson helped Harlow Town despatch Aylesbury 4-2, Brentwood Town went to Bedford Town and came away with a 4-2 victory thanks particularly to a hat trick from Josh Wiggins, Kingstonian also scored four- at Thurrock- to progress, and Bury Town won a stormy match at Chalfont St Peter by three goals to nil, although the home side won 3-1 on red cards.

The other replay involving our clubs was between two Premier Division rivals, as Folkestone Invicta took on Leiston for the third time in ten days. On this occasion it took penalties and the magnificent form of Leiston keeper Marcus Garnham to separate the sides, with Seb Dunbar knocking in the winning spot kick to earn a 6-5 shootout victory and send the Suffolk side through to a match at Dorking Wanderers.

Bowers & Pitsea still have to play Egham Town in a replay after a floodlight failure in Surrey ruined last nights encounter, whilst Grays Athletic face Cray Wanderers this evening.

Back in the League, Billericay Town would have moved up to second place in the Premier Division with victory at Needham Market last night, but the Marketmen thwarted those plans, Gareth Heath equalising midway through the second half after a Jake Robinson penalty- his fifteenth goal in all competitions- had put the Blues ahead in the first half. A crowd of six hundred and seven gave up their apple bobbing to go to Bloomfields. An eighty-fifth minute Lloyd Mackin goal earned Metropolitan Police a point at Margate, and extended Met's unbeaten run to nine games, whilst an exciting match at Wheatsheaf Park saw Staines Town hit an eighty-ninth minute winner to finally see off an Enfield Town side who had already pegged the Swans back twice. The home side move up to fourth.

Two matches were played in the North Division. The first saw Barking defeat AFC Sudbury by the only goal of the game, whilst the second saw Mildenhall Town suffer a hangover after their FA trophy heroics at the weekend, falling to a 5-1 defeat at Waltham Abbey- for whom Shad Ngandu picked up a brace. In the South Division Chipstead hammered four goals past East Grinstead Town, Sam Bell with the first and last of them to make his personal tally fourteen for the season so far.

Premier Division leaders Dulwich Hamlet were at home in the Velocity Trophy, and despatched Greenwich Borough 4-1 in front of 444 fans, whilst in the other tie of the night Horsham went to Walton Casuals and continued their recent resurgence with a fine 3-1 victory.

Heybridge Swifts visit to Exeter City will be our #Bostikmatchday feature this weekend. See you there, Swifts fans!

Image- Heybridge Swifts FC