Gate lead the way on Trophy Saturday!

Our FA Trophy weekend started on Friday night, with two South Central v South East meetings- and it wasn't a good night for the visitors. 

Ascot United played host to Merstham. The Yellas, who defeated Ashford Town in the last round, were full of confidence after three consecutive wins; whilst the travelling Moatsiders had also won their last three and had a fine start to the season, six wins from seven in all competitions, and a one hundred percent record on the road. That away run came to an end with a bit of a thump, as United hit their visitors for five, scoring four in the first half. Anas Igozouln scored the first and the third, Sean McCormack the meat in that particular sandwich and Liam Tack making it four just before the break. Eight minutes from time Ben Harris made it five. 

Kingstonian, at their new home of Raynes Park Vale, welcomed Eastbourne Town. After three wins from three at the start of the season- including one against Town’s neighbours United in the Cup- the K’s had conceded four goals in each of their previous two matches. Town had won their last two away matches, and indeed have been better on the road than on their own patch, so we thought this one would be close, and it was for sixty six minutes, before the K’s took a stranglehold on proceedings. Stan Flaherty got the opener, and it remained one-nil as we moved into added time, only for Flaherty and Taurean Roberts to make the result look rather one-sided in added time, with goals two and three. 

Saturday

AFC Croydon Athletic welcomed Beaconsfield Town, who are in mid table in Pitching In Southern Division One Central and had lost their last three in all competitions. The Rams have been good on their own patch, their midweek Velocity Cup win over Rayners Lane their third home win of the season, and they went ahead in this one two minutes before half time, Tom Collins with the opener. That turned out to be the only goal, so our Rams progress. 

Badshot Lea of the South Central are still searching for a first League win, although they had won twice in knockout competitions prior to the visit of South East side Broadbridge Heath. The Bears were looking for a fourth unbeaten match, and they went ahead just after the half hour, Tadley Bromage with the opener, before quickly doubling their advantage, Owen Cranmer-Flynn with their second. The visitors added a third just before the hour, Callum Dowdell putting them out of sight, and they weren’t finished, Charlie Parameter adding a fourth fourteen minutes from time.

We had a South East Kentish derby as Deal Town welcomed Ashford United. Town have had a positive start to the league season, with three wins so far, whilst United hadn’t yet managed a league win but had been sweeping all before them in the cup, having already scored thirteen knockout goals including six against Three Bridges last weekend. The visitors looked to continue that knockout form, and took the lead with twenty one minutes left, Craig Stone with the opener- and it wasn’t only the opener, it was the only. 

Hanworth Villa looked to bounce back after midweek Cup defeat as they welcomed Margate, the visitors making their second trip to West London in four days and looking for a similar outcome, after defeating Hayes & Yeading United three-one on Tuesday night. The Villains were undefeated on their own patch this season, but they were behind on thirteen minutes, Gate boss Ben Greenhalgh with the opener. The visitors added to their lead just after the hour mark, Ibrahim Olutade scoring from the spot, and then they rather ran away with the match, Greenhalgh adding a third and Jordan Ababio making it four-nil eight minutes from time. A minute from time Greenhalgh completed his hat trick, five-nil the final score. That’s five clean sheets in seven matches for Gate. 

Hartley Wintney have had a positive start to the season, and hosted yet another South Central v South East battle as East Grinstead Town made the trip. This was the hosts first match for a fortnight, but they’d won three of their four fixtures this season and went ahead in this one just before the break, George Wallace with the opener. Aderi Dede made it two-nil just before the hour, but the Wasps got back into the match when Charlie Harris pulled a goal back, with eighteen minutes left to find an equaliser. It didn’t come, and the Row held infer victory. 

Herne Bay played host to Northwood, the visitors these days a Southern League club. Bay were unbeaten this season, and this was only their second home match- whilst the Woods have not yet adapted to life in Pitching In Southern Division One Central, and were yet to win a game- indeed the travelled to Kent on the back of six defeats from six in all competitions. Bay took eighteen minutes to get their noses in front, Kane Haysman with the goal, and that was how it ended. 

We’d an all South East tie as Hythe Town played host to Three Bridges. Neither side had a positive start to the season, and the Cannons came into this one having won only once in all competitions and having lost their previous three without scoring, whilst Bridges had conceded six at Ashford last weekend and were three without a win. When the sides last met, in April, Bridges won an incredible match by eight goals to three, and we didn’t expect a repeat of that, but we did have an early goal, and again it went to Bridges, Elliott Romain on five minutes. The visitors were two up courtesy of Kevin Rivera on the half hour, and although Bruno Tavares got a goal back for the hosts right at the end, it was too late to make any difference to the outcome. 

Raynes Park Vale welcomed Beckenham Town- another of those South Cewntral v South East ties- both sides having had positive starts to the campaign. Vale’s unbeaten record departed with a narrow cup defeat against Chertsey Town last weekend, whilst Becks left the cup at the first hurdle but hadn’t looked back since, taking ten points from twelve, so we thought this had the look of a cracker. Vale took only two minutes to break the deadlock, Jordan Gallagher with the opener, and Gallagher added another six minutes later. It was three-nil on twenty minutes, Olly Sotoyinbo making it a long way back for Becks, and it was soon further still as Gallagher added a fourth and completed his hat trick. The second half saw something of a turnaround as Becks decided to make a match of it, and they caused a scare, Steven Townsend and a Louie Theophanous double bringing it back to four-three and leaving them ten minutes to find an equaliser and complete a remarkable comeback, but that was how it ended. 

Sevenoaks Town played host to Harrow Borough. Borough have had a superb start to the season, four league games bringing four victories and three clean sheets, but their only defeat came at the hands of South East opposition, and Oaks meant to make sure that lightning struck again, going ahead seven minutes before the break through Rodney Eruotor- but the hosts then made their own lives difficult, as Adejola Lahan saw red soon afterwards. Not too difficult, it seemed, as in added time at the end of the first half they went two goals up, Jefferson Aibangbee converting from the spot. The same player added a third, also from the spot, just before the hour, and that was the last goal of the game. 

Sheppey United saw a superb start to the campaign come to a bit of a painful halt in midweek, as they were on the receiving end of a Hanwell Town hammering. The Ites were unbeaten prior to that, with a one hundred percent league record, but they had a difficult match in prospect as Ramsgate made the trip. The Rams sat at the top of the table with four wins from four, and could add two FA Cup wins to that total, so were perhaps the favourites- but they fell behind on twenty six minutes, Daniel Carr driving the ball home for the Ites. Ramsgate levelled on sixty six minutes, Josh Ajayi with the goal, but they were level for only three minutes before Jacob Lambert restored home advantage. The Rams have Joe Taylor, who almost seems to be guaranteed goals, and two minutes from time he got his ninth of the season- and then, with spot kicks looking a certainty, six minutes into added time he got his tenth, the winner. 

Sittingbourne were bouncing Brickies after their performance against Premier promotion chasers Dover Athletic, who they removed from the Cup at the Crabble in midweek. The Brickies welcomed Sutton Common Rovers to Woodstock  Park, the visitors looking for a second win of the season, but it was the hosts who broke the deadlock just after the break, Codey Cosgrave with the opener. Deep in added time Richie Hammill added a second from the spot, and that was that. 

Southall were victorious against a Sussex side in the previous round of the Trophy, and indeed had to defeat Lancing twice after the first result was annulled due to an ineligible player issue, but they didn’t have the best of starts against Burgess Hill Town, as Ben Pope opened the scoring for the Hillians after just three minutes. It got worse for The All as Alex Brewer made it two twenty three minutes later, and that was where the scoring ended, Hill comfortably through. 

Steyning Town were at home for the second weekend in a row, although hoping for a more positive result. Town, who are still looking for a first League win but had already won three cup ties this season, played host to Pitching In Southern Division One Central side Thame United, who saw a three match winning streak come to an end when they were thumped by Wingate & Finchley last weekend. United went ahead on the half hour mark, and added another only four minutes later, scorer Harry Alexander claiming another and the match ball by half time. Two more in the second half made it five-nil and a poor day for the hosts. 

Uxbridge welcomed Phoenix Sports to Honeycroft. This was a match between two sides who were rather desperate for a victory, the hosts having lost their opening three league matches and been knocked out of the cup, the visitors having lost their previous three, four of their previous six, and yet to pick up a victory of any kind. The hosts went ahead early on, new signing Leo Decabo starting his career at Honeycroft in a positive manner, and they doubled their advantage when Wilson Chingoka added a second midway through the first half. The second half was one way traffic, Decabo quickly added a third, and almost immediately Alex Witham got a fourth, before Chad Goulter got number five just after the hour. An own goal ended a miserable day for the visitors, six-nil the final score. 

Sunday will see Littlehampton Town welcome Sporting Bengal United, South East v North. The Golds have been rather short of football so far, having played only one league match- a narrow defeat- and three knockout matches, the last of those a victory in the previous round of the Trophy, a shootout win over Rayners Lane after a two-two draw on August 27th. This wilkl be their fifth consecutive home match- they haven’t yet played away from the Sportsfield. United have played four league matches so far, winning two and losing two, and if that pattern continues are due a victory!