Two matches from the promised land for our cup fighters

We’re only two matches from the promised land in the Emirates FA Cup, and a number of our sides still have hopes of glory.

We start with a side who have many recent glorious memories, Ramsgate, who are on the road to Brackley Town of National League North. Brackley are in decent form, having won their last three matches without conceding a goal, but we suspect that the Rams won’t be too afraid given their recent record of slaying giants- and the fact that they’ve won every away match they’ve played so far this season; indeed they’ve won every match they’ve played in League, FA Cup and FA Trophy. 

Carshalton Athletic (pictured) are at home to Melkesham Town. The visitors are members of Pitching In Southern Division One South, and a first glance of the table sees them in mid table- but a second glance will show that they have played only four matches and are unbeaten. The reason they are falling behind a little is that they are not only unbeaten in the League, but also in the FA Cup and Trophy, and indeed have played twelve matches in all competitions without a defeat so far. The Robins will be favourites, and they are four unbeaten- this will be their fifth consecutive match at home.

Chatham Town are having an up and down sort of season so far, and will hope to get back up as National League South side Slough Town come to call. Slough took two matches to fight their way past our very own Chichester City in the last round, and the Chats will hope to slay this particular giant and get past this stage of the competion for the first time since 2013-14. 

Ashford United travel 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 have had a steady start and remain unbeaten on their own patch. They defeated Isthmian opposition, Raynes Park Vale, two rounds previously- and will face moire Isthmian opponents, Billericay Town, in the FA Trophy next weekend. The travelling Nuts and Bolts are still looking for a first league win, but that is to some extent because they’ve played very few league matches, having been so busy winning cup ties. Striker Gary Lockyer is the top scorer in the entire competition at the moment, with nine goals- and he has twelve for the season.

We have an all-Premier tie as Cray Wanderers welcome Hastings United. Wands haven’t really found their feet in the League as yet, having saved their best performances for cup ties, and will hope to defeat Isthmian Premier opposition for a second round in a row. United have lost only twice this season, although both of those defeats came on the road- at Potters Bar Town and Hashtag United.

Pitching In Isthmian North Gorleston have 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 have been rather less superb of late, losing four of their last six, and will need to recapture their form from earlier in the campaign. Perhaps the sun might come out and they can pretend it’s August once more (although come to think of it, it wasn’t all that sunny in August, either). City have been having a torrid time, and are bottom of the table without a league win, but they do look to be starting to find their feet, undefeated in three matches. 

Haringey Borough are having the strangest season imaginable. The North Londoners have charged through cup competitions like a colossus, and are still in the FA Trophy, too- whilst still awaiting a league win. They have rather familiar- to us, anyway- opponents, our North Division champions Lowestoft Town making the trip to Coles Park. The Trawler Boys have had rather a mixed start to their Pitching In Southern Premier Central campaign, recording three wins and six defeats, and most of their struggles have come on the road, where they’ve lost four of their last five. They defeated Isthmian opposition in the last two rounds, hitting Potters Bar Town for six and Newmarket Town for five.

Herne Bay have a Kentish derby to look forward to, National League South side Maidstone United making the trip to the seaside. The Stones have had a mixed start to their season but protect a three match unbeaten record, whilst Bay have been so busy in cup competitions that they’ve played only three matches so far, and are still fighting to progress not only in the FA Cup but also in the FA Trophy. They’ve already slain one ‘giant’ in this competition, defeating Hendon in the last round, and are undefeated on their own patch. 

Margate have had a rather positive start to their Pitching In Isthmian South East campaign, and will face familiar opponents, Premier Division Horsham making the trip. Gate have lost only once in any competition this season- a narrow defeat at Ascot United in the FA Trophy last weekend- and have kept a clean sheet in eight of their twelve matches in all competitions. They hammered the Hornets Sussex rivals Bognor Regis Town four-nil on the road in the last round. Horsham were also slaying giants, in their case Dorking Wanderers for the second season in succession, and they’ve a very good recent record against Gate, winning four of their last five meetings- the other a draw. 

The last time that Sittingbourne reached the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was back in the nineties, and this is the first time they’ve reached Q3 since 2013-14. It’s been a fine campaign for the promotion chasing Brickies, who also remain in the FA Trophy, and they are unbeaten at home. They’ll want to avoid a midweek replay as they take on Plymouth Parkway of Pitching In Southern Premier South, as that’s an awfully long way on a Tuesday night! Parkway are still looking for a first league win of the season, and they haven’t travelled well so far, conceding nine goals in their last two away matches- although they’ve actually picked up more league points (two) on the road than on their own patch. 

Dartford are on the road to the Sussex seaside, where they take on National League South promotion hopefuls Worthing. Their hosts have lost only once this season and are five unbeaten despite playing only twice on their own patch; whilst the Darts sit sixth in our Premier Division but have had a mixed campaign, with four wins and three defeats. They’ve been very good on occasions, but are still searching for something that resembles consistency- although they will have fond memories of their last trip to Worthing, a four-three victory in November last year. 

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.