Greens lead the way!

With Canvey Island playing today, we will have a minimum of six names in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round draw tomorrow afternoon. Here’s how our sides got on yesterday. 

We start with a side who had many recent glorious memories, Ramsgate, who were on the road to Brackley Town of National League North. Brackley were in decent form, having won their last three matches without conceding a goal, and they went ahead in this one seven minutes before the break- but the Rams were level two minutes into the second half, the goal coming from a familiar source, Joe Taylor’s thirteenth of the season unlucky for the hosts. Brackley looked to have ended the Rams cup adventures for this season as they regained the lead with six minutes to go, and that was certainly the case when they quickly added a third. There was time for a fourth, too, that arriving in added time. 

Carshalton Athletic were at home to Melkesham Town. The visitors are members of Pitching In Southern Division One South, and were unbeaten in the League, FA Cup and Trophy, and indeed had played twelve matches in all competitions without a defeat so far. The Robins wanted to put an end to that, and went ahead on thirty two minutes, Tommy Bradford with the goal, and quickly added another, Mason Saunders-Henry making it two. Just before the break, however, the visitors got a goal back, and nine minutes into the second half they equalised. Could the Robins respond? They could- but they left it late. Five minutes into added time, Dominic Vose put away a penalty and sent the hosts through to the next round. 

Chatham Town are having an up and down sort of season so far, and hoped to get back up as National League South side Slough Town came to call. Slough took two matches to fight their way past our very own Chichester City in the last round, and the Chats hoped to slay this particular giant and get past this stage of the competition for the first time since 2013-14. The visitors got a penalty on eighteen minutes and accordingly went ahead, and it got worse for the Chats when Slough added a second in first half added time. It was three-nil just after the hour, and that’s how it ended, David Brent’s Barmy Army able to celebrate victory. 

Ashford United travelled to take on familiar opponents- familiar to us, if not them. Pitching In Isthmian South Central champions Chertsey Town are a Southern Premier club these days, and the Curfews were unbeaten on their own patch and looking to take an Isthmian scalp for the second round in a row- and they were ahead on seven minutes, and two goals up on eighteen. It was three-nil five minutes into the second half, but the next goal went to the Nuts and Bolts, Gary Lockyer with his tenth cup goal of the season- and thirteenth overall. Eight minutes into added time Max Walsh pulled it back to three-two, but that was that. 

We had an all-Premier tie as Cray Wanderers welcomed Hastings United. Wands haven’t really found their feet in the League as yet, having saved their best performances for cup ties, and they went ahead in this one in the early stages of the second half, Toby King the scorer. It was soon two-nil, Kenny Coker from the spot, and in added time Wands made things comfortable with a third, David Smith putting the gloss on their victory. 

Pitching In Isthmian North Gorleston (pictured) had a big scalp in their sights, National League South St Albans City making the trip to Great Yarmouth. The Greens started the season superbly, winning their first six matches, but had been rather less superb of late, losing four of their last six, and needed to recapture their form from earlier in the campaign. City had been having a torrid time, and are bottom of the table without a league win, but they did look to be starting to find their feet, undefeated in three matches- but the opening goal went to our Greens, Christy Finch scoring four minutes before the break. The early stages of the second half saw the match go rather goal crazy. First, City levelled on fifty three minutes- but it took only two minutes for Finch to restore the lead for the Greens, and then on fifty eight minutes Joe Jefford made it three-one, and four minutes later Finch got his hat trick from the spot, four-one. City got a goal back with thirteen minutes left, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, a magnificent result for the Greens. 

Haringey Borough welcomed our North Division Champions, Lowestoft Town making the trip to Coles Park. The travelling Trawler Boys had defeated Isthmian opposition in the last two rounds, and went ahead in this one on seven minutes, but Borough were quickly level through Joe Waight.  Six minutes into the second half the visitors regained the lead, but again Waight was able to level for the hosts- and he claimed the match ball on seventy four minutes, putting Borough ahead for the first time. Right at the end the Trawler Boys somehow conjured up an equaliser, and three-three was the final score. 

Herne Bay hosted a Kentish derby, National League South side Maidstone United making the trip to the seaside. The Stones protected a three match unbeaten record, whilst Bay hoped to defeat a second giant in a row, but the visitors broke through four minutes before half time, an own goal doing the damage. That was the decisive moment, the Stones going through. 

Margate have had a really positive start to their Pitching In Isthmian South East campaign, and faced familiar opponents, Premier Division Horsham making the trip. Gate had lost only once in any competition this season prior to this one, and had kept a clean sheet in eight of their twelve matches in all competitions, and they went ahead in this one six minutes before half time, Ibrahim Olutade with the opener. The Hornets levelled with nineteen minutes to go. Olu Ogunwamide coming to their rescue, and the sides will have to replay in midweek. 

The last time that Sittingbourne reached the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was back in the nineties, and this was the first time they’d reached Q3 since 2013-14. It’s been a fine campaign for the promotion chasing Brickies, who were unbeaten at home as Plymouth Parkway of Pitching In Southern Premier South came to call, but they didn’t have a god opening forty five minutes, going in at half time two-nil down. The Devonians added a third on sixty seven minutes, and the Brickies cup hopes are over. 

Dartford were on the road to the Sussex seaside, where they faced National League South promotion hopefuls Worthing. Their hosts had lost only once this season and were five unbeaten despite playing only twice on their own patch, and they went ahead after only five minutes. The Mackerel Men went two up in the early stages of the second half, added a third on sixty five, before the Darts finally found a bullseye, Eddie Dsane pulling a goal back nineteen minutes from time. That was that, the Darts sadly out. 

Sunday sees Canvey Island make the trip to Biggleswade. With four wins from five the Gulls are beginning to build momentum, and should be favourites as they take on Pitching In Southern Division One opposition. Their hosts have won six of their last seven in all competitions, however, including victory over our very own Basildon United in an earlier round, so the Gulls would do well not to underestimate the opposition.