Sunday Tags slay a giant

After the excitement of our Saturday FA Trophy fixtures we had another on Sunday, Hashtag United welcoming National League North promotion chasers Brackley Town to Parkside. The visitors, who have already faced Pitching In Isthmian opposition this season- they hammered Ramsgate in the FA Cup at the end of September- brought a six match unbeaten run to the north end of the Dartford Crossing, and must have been confident of extending that to seven when they went ahead after fifteen minutes.

The Tags quickly hit back, however, Matthew Wooldridge levelling only nine minutes later on his one hundred and fiftieth appearance for the club, but seven minutes into the second half Brackley scored again. This time they held their lead until fifteen minutes from time, Misha Djemaili’s ninth of the season drawing the Tags level once more only one minute after emerging from the bench, and that looked to be that. A penalty shootout was looming, and then, three minutes into added time, another substitute decided it was time he made an impact. He left it a little longer than his team mate- he’d been on the field a whole six minutes- but Luke May-Parrott sent the home fans crackers by forcing home a pass from Toby Aromolaran to seal a famous victory.

Prior to this season the Tags had only qualified for the FA Trophy three times, and never got beyond the Third Qualifying Round. Today they will be in the draw for the Third Round, which will be broadcast on Talksport at around 3.15 PM. They join Saturday’s victors Sittingbourne, Brentwood Town and Horsham to make up an Isthmian quartet.