F.A CUP-EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND
Saturday 7th August 2021
BIGGLESWADE UNITED 0-7 SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN
After conceding seven at home on their UCL debut last Tuesday, Biggleswade got the chance to put things right against Essex Senior League side Saffron Walden Town today, but sadly it was de-ja-vu at the back as their goals against tally hit 14 in two games. Gavin Cockman opened the scoring for the Bloods, Michael Toner made it two before a Scott Piggott double made the half-time score 0-4. Toner grabbed his second after the break and it seemed an abandonment might be United’s only chance here as torrential rain forced the players off the pitch. They were back ten minutes later though as Piggott netted twice more to take his personal tally to four on another day to forget for Biggleswade United.
BUGBROOKE ST MICHAELS 4-2 MARCH TOWN UNITED
I wonder what odds I would get on Bugbrooke winning all their games 4-2 this season. It’s a pretty rare scoreline but they have done it twice now inside four days. The ECL Premier Division team opened up a two-goal lead at the Sett as Harrison Clarke netted on 16 minutes from a quickly taken free-kick and they doubled their advantage on 25 thanks to a great finish from just inside the box from Brody Warren. The Badgers had been forced into a number of changes from Tuesday night so perhaps they needed a while to reset, but they gave themselves a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Dan Porter headed home from a Nathan Burrows cross. Burrows himself levelled the game on the hour after slotting past the outcoming keeper before 38-year-old full back Ryan Nash turned back the clock in a rare first team appearance as he gave the UCL team the lead with ten minutes remaining, drilling a shot from a tight angle into the far corner. Another defender made certain of the win as skipper Tom Caton scored from close range following a corner five minutes from time.
COGENHOE UNITED 0-0 HAVERHILL ROVERS
The Cooks will have to do it the hard way after being held to a goalless draw at home by ECL club Haverhill and now face the long trip to Suffolk on Wednesday night. They could have won it on the day though as Archie Elmore had a free-kick ruled out whilst both Will Bates and Jack Riley hit the bar during the game.
EASINGTON SPORTS 1-1 WOKINGHAM & EMMBROOK
Easington kicked off life as a UCL club with an FA Cup tie at home to Wokingham & Emmbrook from the Hellenic League Division One and they will have to go again on Tuesday following today’s 1-1 draw. The visitors took the lead when Liam Eagle netted from a Jack Webb corner, but Sports came back almost immediately through Josh Bowden to force a replay. The Oxon club still have home advantage though as Wokingham can’t host at the moment.
G.N.G OADBY TOWN 0-2 STAMFORD
Oadby faced a very tough tie at home to higher grade opposition in Stamford and can take solace from their performance despite going down 0-2. Rodrigo Goncalves gave the Daniels the half-time lead with his 21st minute long range goal and the home side were reduced to ten men with 16 minutes still left to play when Mylan Charles was shown a straight red for a foul. Substitute Michael Armstrong finally settled Stamford’s nerves with a second goal on 79 minutes after cutting in from the left before burying his shot.
GODMANCHESTER ROVERS 1-1 O.N CHENECKS
Chenecks will have ‘home’ advantage in the replay after goals from Ross Munro for Rovers and Jon Muddiman for the Northampton side cancelled each other out. Billing Road isn’t available for floodlit football just yet due to the cricket so the replay will be held at Compton Park.
HADLEIGH UNITED 2-0 DESBOROUGH TOWN
This tie was goalless until the 66th minute when Harry Brown headed home a Sam Sharp corner and the ECL team wrapped it up on 78 when Joel Glover went one-on-one with keeper Chris Jones and slotted home after Joe Yaxley had played him clear.
HARBOROUGH TOWN 2-0 ROTHWELL CORINTHIANS
The Bees edged through in this all UCL tie with a goal in each half. Dan Forbes flicked header broke Corinthians resistance on 38 minutes and substitute Scott Mooney’s turn and finish on 88 minutes made it two wins in four days for Harborough.
NEWARK 0-0 LUTTERWORTH TOWN
UCL Premier North v South in this game, but no goals between them so they try again at Kong Park on Tuesday night.
NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN 4-1 PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR
Having let in seven at Eynesbury this was looking like a tough one for PNS in this all UCL clash and that is pretty much how things turned out, although they did hold the Swans goalless at the break. Mo Ahmed rounded the keeper to open the scoring on 53 mins for the home side and Ben Ford charged down a clearance for the second. A bit of a turning point just after the hour though when home keeper Tom Wyant was shown the red card and the resultant penalty was scored, but further goals Jim Burnside (72) and Kieran Barnes two minutes from time rounded off a comfortable 4-1 win for Newport Pagnell. PNS scorer unknown.
NORWICH UNITED 2-1 LONG BUCKBY
This was another tie where all the goals came in the second half. Liam Jackson opened the scoring on 58 minutes with a tidy finish, but the UCL side drew level thanks to a well taken effort from Max Proudlock nine minutes later. Hopes of a replay were dashed though when Max Melanson drilled into the bottom corner on 74 minutes and this proved enough to give the Planters their first win of the season at Buckby’s expense.
POTTON UNITED 2-1 EYNESBURY ROVERS
Another all UCL South tie, this time between two teams who had impressed in midweek, scoring twelve goals between them. Chisom Amadi opened the scoring on 5 minutes when he slotted home from close range after Josh Mollinson had been forced into a save and they made it two around fifteen minutes later through a well-taken Callum Wilson free-kick curled in left-footed from just outside the area. Eynesbury pulled one back around the half-hour mark and they were given more hope when Liam Andrews was shown the red card with eighteen minutes still to play, but the ten men held on to win the tie. Eynesbury haven’t made their scorer public.
RUGBY TOWN 1-0 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS
Rugby progressed thanks to late goal from Max Johnson against a Mikes side who had earlier been reduced to ten men. Former Valley midfielder Steve Palmer was shown the red card for a late tackle on Dylan Parker and the home side eventually took advantage of the extra man when Barry Fitzharris broke through before finding Parker and his pull back was tucked away by Johnson.
SPORTING KHALSA 4-3 COVENTRY SPHINX
Sphinx are becoming the almost boys after coming back from 3-0 down early on to lose 3-2 at Leicester Road on Tuesday, they fought back from 4-1 down at Northern Premier League outfit Sporting Khalsa, but again fell just short in a 4-3 defeat. Josh McKenzie bagged a hat-trick for the step four team with Jake Gosling scoring goal number three for Khalsa. Sphinx had levelled things at 1-1, but had to rely on a big comeback and eventually ran out of time. James Bryson, Ryan Harkin and Callum Woodward were all on target for Sphinx.
WALSALL WOOD 0-2 LEICESTER ROAD
A very good win on the road for Leicester Road as they triumphed 2-0 at Midland league club Walsall Wood. Tom Smith’s touch and turn saw him fire the UCL side in the lead from a Brown cross on 28 minutes, but they had to wait until late on before Dominic Brennan sealed the win from 40-yards after spotting keeper Lloyd Ransome off his line with a very well-executed lob.
WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN 1-3 NEWMARKET TOWN
The UCL side took an early lead in this one with Jake Newman bagging his fourth goal of the season, but it was the ECL club who were celebrating come 5pm. Jack Whiting worked the wing for the Jockeys and crossed for Sam Gomarsall to level two minutes before the break and two minutes after the restart James Hall had swung the tie after being set up by Lewis Whitehead. Hall grabbed his second after running on to Danny Gay’s big kick over the defence to round off a good afternoon for Newmarket with ten minutes remaining and leaving the Doughboys licking their wounds from two straight defeats. It may be the end of the FA Cup but still plenty of time for Paul Lamb to turn things around at his new club. Special mention to Newmarket keeper for the day Danny Gay after the 38-year-old agreed to come out of retirement to help out as regular keeper Alex Archer was unavailable.
Sunday 8th August 2021
EMIRATES F.A CUP EXTRA-PRELIMINARY ROUND
COVENTRY UNITED 4-1 WORCESTER CITY
The UCL newboys had to switch their FA Cup tie to Daventry Town due the unavailability of the Butts Arena, but that didn’t seem to have much of an effect on them as they cruised to a comfortable win over fallen non-league giants Worcester City. It was a dream start for United as they went ahead after just two minutes after Tyler Haddow broke through one-on-one with the keeper. His shot hit the post but it then hit the unfortunate Louis Ezewele and it went in for an own goal. On 18 minutes it was 2-0 when Riley O’Sullivan crossed in low and Haddow did get his name on the scoresheet this time as he slid the ball through Brendan Bunn’s legs in the City goal. On the half-hour mark it was three for Coventry as Kyle Carey sent over a cross that O’Sullivan converted to make very tough indeed for Worcester. Substitute Joe Cairns put the game out of sight on 57 minutes, with a little help from a defender’s deflection from his free-kick. Archie Muirhead did pull one back for City with a cool finish four minutes later and they did push on to try and get back into the game only to be denied by a great save from Reece Francis to deny a close range header and the keeper then saved a penalty three minutes before the end to round off a great day for the red and greens.
