Trophy Days are Here Again

It’s FA Trophy time, and there are only six more rounds to go before we reach the final! Yes, that sounds like rather a lot, but when you consider that some of our clubs have had to get through four rounds already just to reach the current stage- the Third Qualifying Round- it seems perhaps a little less daunting, don’t you think? OK, perhaps not.

One club who will be able to remember what FA Trophy glory looks like are Bognor Regis Town. It’s only four seasons since the Rocks were Semi-Finalists, eventually bowing out to Grimsby Town- and they take another step on the Trophy trail as they travel to face one of our former clubs, Tonbridge Angels. Angels haven’t been having the best of seasons in National League South but have perhaps turned a corner of late, a 4-4 draw against Oxford City and a 2-1 win over St Albans City seeing them move up the table this month. Bognor won’t be daunted by the trip to Longmead, as they’ve won eight matches in a row in all competitions, and ten of their last eleven.

When the two sides met in the Isthmian League last season the outcome was two away wins.

Oxford City had won three in a row prior to that 4-4 draw with Angels, and then lost heavily in the FA Cup, being walloped five-one by National League Solihull Moors. That might have been a blip, however, as last weekend they travelled to Essex and hammered six goals past Chelmsford City. They’ve another Essex club heading their way tomorrow, as Hornchurch head to the cathedral city. The Urchins have two one-one draws from their past two matches, but they followed four consecutive victories, including a six-one hammering of Basildon United in the last round of the competition.

We have a Mole Valley derby at Fetcham Grove, as Leatherhead host our reigning Premier Division Champions, Dorking Wanderers. The Tanners had been in magnificent form with eight successive victories, and then it all rather unravelled last weekend at East Thurrock- but there will never be a better incentive for them to get back on track than the chance of a giant killing against their biggest rivals. Wanderers sit in seventh place in their first National League South season, and don’t have a win in their last five matches- although they have drawn the last three.

Hastings United have a long trip along the coast via the A27, M27 and A35 as they head to Weymouth, who are currently fourth in National League South and drew with Billericay Town in midweek. Their hosts have only one defeat in thirteen matches, that coming in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round against Dover Athletic, and the last time they lost a league match was on August Bank Holiday Monday- but Hastings haven’t lost a league match at all, and have only been defeated this season by Worthing- in an FA Cup Replay- and Brighton & Hove Albion- in the Sussex Senior Cup- so will not have any fear of their hosts, although they should have plenty of the traffic near Chichester. Those roundabouts! It's traffic purgatory.

Haringey Borough also entertain National League South opposition, in their case the sixth placed Tudors of Hemel Hempstead Town. Town don’t have a win in three, and lost their last two, against Braintree Town and Concord Rangers, whilst Borough are undefeated in three but haven’t really recaptured their early season form. This would be a good time to do just that.

We’ve a mouth-watering tie in prospect down Donkey Lane, as Enfield Town host Maldon and Tiptree. The Jammers might have one eye on their forthcoming FA Cup Second Round tie with Newport County, but we suggested the same before they took on Bury Town in the Velocity Trophy earlier this week and they scored six! The Towners have been superb on occasions this season, but only have one point from their last two matches so will need to recapture their best form for this one.

Kingstonian, who drew with Enfield Town on Wednesday night, are currently unbeaten in six matches, and have only one defeat in thirteen. They, like Maldon, might have an eye on their FA Cup Second Round tie, but they’ll need both firmly focused on the opposition if they are to defeat AFC Sudbury, the Yellows having defeated Step Three sides Worthing and Harrow Borough in the last two rounds and determined to demonstrate that they can do it a third time.

After so many draws that Littlewoods would have taken them off the pools coupon (does that still exist?), Carshalton Athletic have finally got back to winning ways of late, with three victories from their last three fixtures. They have a Surrey derby to look forward to, and perhaps it’s a good time to host Tooting and Mitcham United, as the Terrors seem to have lost some of their early season terror. That said, they did travel to Premier Division Margate in the last round and carry out a massacre, so the Robins better not get too comfortable.

Finally, the Millers of Aveley have been superb in recent weeks, and have already knocked two higher level sides out of the FA Trophy. They’ll need to do it again as they travel to Biggleswade Town, ninth in Southern Premier Central and victors over Met Police in a midweek replay. Their hosts have been inconsistent this season, and in their previous match against Isthmian opposition departed the FA Cup against South Central side Ware, so let’s hope that lightning strikes twice.