Bowers & Pitsea 1 Egham Town 1
I was back at the Len Salmon Stadium to see my latest match in my Buildbase FA Trophy trail as Bowers & Pitsea hosted Egham Town in a First Qualifying Round tie.
Bowers had needed a replay to see off fellow Bostick North side Dereham Town to progress into this round whilst Egham had a much simpler passage through after the Evo Stik Southern East side demolished Bostick South bottom side Shoreham 7-1 in Surrey.
Both sides were doing well in their respective divisions too so a close hard fought cup tie was expected. It was the visitors who started the better though and saw an early Matt Woods effort fly wide of the far post and on seven minutes Aaron Berry struck a fierce effort straight at hosts keeper Callum Chafer as the hosts struggled early on.
The hosts first chance came in the 13th minute and saw David Knight fire wide from the edge of the box and four minutes later they created another opening when a long throw was headed down to Gavin Cockman but the Bowers forward scuffed his effort and it dribbled into Pat Ohman’s hands.
Egham were soon back on the front foot minutes later though and an attack down the right saw a dangerous low ball in well fielded by Chafer as Liam Tack was ready to pounce and then just before the half hour mark a great free kick into the Bowers box by Egham full back Ryan Phillips almost found the head of Rhys Paul. Any touch and surely the visitors would have taken the lead.
And moments later they should of done as Woods ran in on goal, rounded keeper Chafer, but then fires across goal as Bowers survived another scare.
In the 33rd minute Bowers attacked and saw a Tony Stokes effort blocked before it came out to Ben Sartain who fired over from distance and two minutes before the break the hosts almost pinched a half time lead when a flick on from Cockman found Stokes who laid in Knight but his effort was tipped wide by Ohman.
And from the second corner in the attack the ball came out to Cockman whose fierce drive at goal was diverted over by Stokes. It meant the teams reached the half goalless although the visitors would have been the happier so far.
Half Time Bowers & Pitsea 0 Egham Town 0
Bowers came out much better than they had begun the first period and saw Sartain try a spectacular dipping effort from range early in the half but it went over the visitors bar and then seven minutes later Jamie Salmon curled a free kick over the bar.
But just before the hour mark Bowers were rewarded for their decent spell when Jamie Dicks sent a corner to the back post and into a posse of defenders on the line who made a mess of it and hacked into the corner of their own net. Who got the final touch is anyone’s guess but it was definitely an own goal and Bowers had a slender advantage.
Egham tried to respond five minutes later when substitute Lewis Stead drilled a free kick from distance but this was saved by Chafer then up the other end Bowers had a great chance to possibly kill the visitors off when Knight saw a close range header saved by Ohman before the rebound was scrambled wide.
With thirteen minutes left a cross into the Bowers box saw Chafer fail to claim under pressure but Woods could only hook the loose ball wide and then two minutes later they went even closer when
substitute Brendan Matthews glanced a header over Chafer but onto the post and Bowers survived.
However they could survive only a minute longer as with ten minutes left the visitors found an equaliser as Woods got in and squared across goal to substitute Ryan De Battista who rammed home first time and set up a frantic final few minutes.
But neither side could find a winner as the game became rather fractious at times, and so it ended all square setting up a replay in Surrey next week. Should be a tasty one that.
Full Time Bowers & Pitsea 1 Egham Town 1
So it was off to Surrey and a replay at The Runnymeade Stadium. The replay was due to take place on Tuesday 31st October, however at around 7.25pm the lights on the dugout/stand side went out and after they were left to recharge for half an hour they attempted to turn them back on, sadly they would not play ball and the match was postponed at around 8.10pm, meaning the teams would have to wait a whole week to contest the replay.
Anyway it did eventually take place on Tuesday 7th November and here is how it panned out:-
Egham Town 3 Bowers & Pitsea 5 (aet)
Bowers set up an away tie at Margate on Saturday after seeing off Egham Town at The Runnymeade Stadium in what was an extraordinary Trophy replay.
Stokes had an early chance for the visitors but it was the only noteworthy moment in the early stages on what was a very heavy and slippery surface, a result from the falling rain. Egham's first chance saw Matthew try his luck from the edge of the area but it was easy for Chafer.
However moments later huge controversy rained down on the contest when Knight was adjudged to have been fouled when running through by Wiseman, and the hosts defender was shown a straight red card although the hosts were appealing he had won the ball. It meant the hosts were a man down for the remainder of the contest.
And in the 17 minute the Bowers got their noses in front as from the resulting free kick Knight struck his free kick into the bottom corner and the visitors were a man and a goal up early on.
Moments later though Bowers keeper Chafer had to be alert to tip a Phillips free kick over with the corner causing a scramble inside the area before the visitors cleared, as Bowers managed to maintain that lead.
Seven minutes before the break good play between Knight and T Stokes gave the visitors a sight of goal, but the former could not get his shot away as the rain continued to fall.
And with four minutes of the half left the ten men found a leveller when Matthew produced a great strike to find the top corner and bring his side on level terms, although two minutes later Bowers almost retook the lead when T Stokes saw a header cleared off the line, meaning the sides went in level at the break.
Half Time Egham Town 1 Bowers & Pitsea 1
Three minutes into the second period a mistake from Bowers defender M Stokes handed the ball to Woods, but his shot was held by Chafer, and two minutes later down the other end better football from Bowers saw Nyanja found Knight who back heeled to T Stokes, but his effort went wide.
Bowers went close to taking the lead though when Dicks struck a 56th minute effort against the post, and two minutes later Knight's corner found M Stokes but his header went wide of the Egham goal.
The visitors found another chance on the hour mark when Ashman's cross found T Stokes but his shot was blocked by Nolan, but with twelve minutes remaining it was ten a side when Salmon was sent off for a stamp and this seemed to boost Egham somewhat.
With eight minutes left Chafer had to make a save from Nolan as the momentum was well and truly with the Surrey side, and in the 91st minute the hosts appeared to have scored the winner when De Battista found Matthew who smashed home.
But unbelievably in the 93rd minute Bowers won a corner and Knight took it and found keeper Chafer, who had come up for the corner in a last throw of the dice, to power home a header and take this one to extra time, what drama indeed!!!
Full Time Egham Town 2 Bowers & Pitsea 2
The early exchanges of extra time yielded little action, probably because both sides were still trying to recover from that crazy end to normal time, and the fact the pitch, now saturated due to all the rain, was not helping the cause.
A minute before the end of the first period of extra time a ball back into the area from Thomas almost bounced over Egham keeper Ohman's head, whilst two minutes into the second period M Stokes sent a volley over the hosts bar.
However in the 109th minute Bowers got their noses in front when Manor, who had been playing centre half for most of the time he had been on, got forward to head home a Yuill cross but in the 117th minute Matthew grabbed his hat-trick when converting from the spot and it looked like penalties would be needed to separate these two.
But this crazy, unbelievable tie had one final twist when Sartain laid a ball off to Thomas who crossed for Knight to net an 118th minute goal, and then in the 120th minute Bowers sealed the deal finally when T Stokes scored and finally end what had been a remarkable 120 minutes of football.
Full Time (aet) Egham Town 3 Bowers & Pitsea 5
Wow!!! What a replay that was, and Bowers now travel to face Margate on the Kent coast this weekend (Saturday 11th November). Or so we thought.....as this match has now been postponed. I understand this is due to Bowers being charged by the Football Association regarding a possible breach of Rule E10- the rule that governs a player being fielded whilst suspended. A hearing will be held on Wednesday 15th November 2017. So for now we do not know who will be playing Margate in the next round. Watch this space!!!
Anyway here are the First Qualifying Round Results in full:-
Friday 27th October
Kingstonian 3 Thurrock 3
Saturday 28th October
Sittingbourne 1 Merstham 1
Ashton United 4 Frickley Athletic 1
Glossop North End 3 Matlock Town 2
Mossley AFC 0 Lancaster City 1
Ossett Town 1 Droylsden 3
Altrincham 3 Clitheroe 0
Farsley Celtic AFC 1 South Shields 1
Buxton 1 Cleethorpes Town 2
Warrington Town 2 Bamber Bridge 1
Shaw Lane 2 Ramsbottom United 2
Whitby Town 1 Marine 3
Prescot Cables 0 Stalybridge Celtic 0
Kendal Town 2 Atherton Colleries 4
Workington AFC 4 Witton Albion 0
Grantham Town 1 Halesowen Town 0
Rushall Olympic 2 Nantwich Town 0
Hednesford Town 1 Mickleover Sports 0
Newcastle Town 2 Kidsgrove Athletic 2
Stratford Town 2 Bedworth United 1
Chasetown 2 Spalding United 1
Stafford Rangers 6 St Ives Town 0
Barwell 1 Carlton Town 0
Stamford AFC 3 Sutton Coldfield Town 0
St Neots Town 3 Corby Town 2
Redditch United 0 Coalville Town 1
Cambridge City 0 Alvechurch 2
Leek Town 3 Kettering Town 2
Stourbridge 1 Basford United 0
Hitchin Town 5 Cheshunt 0
Dorking Wanderers 5 Ware 0
Maldon & Tiptree 3 Walton Casuals 0
Billericay Town 3 Tooting & Mitcham United 1
Leatherhead 1 Hythe Town 0
Bishop's Stortford 4 Hanwell Town 0
Needham Market 3 Arlesey Town 1
King's Lynn Town 0 Mildenhall Town 1
Hendon 3 Kings Langley 1
Aylesbury 0 Harlow Town 0
Barking 0 Beaconsfield Town 2
Brentwood Town 0 Bedford Town 0
Tonbridge Angels 3 Heybridge Swifts 3
Bury Town 1 Chalfont St Peter 1
Hastings United 3 Ashford Town (Middx) 4
Metropolitan Police 3 AFC Sudbury 0
Dunstable Town 1 Lewes 4
Corinthian Casuals 3 Hertford Town 1
Cray Wanderers 2 Grays Athletic 2
Worthing 3 Lowestoft Town 0
Staines Town 0 Margate 3
Waltham Abbey 0 Dulwich Hamlet 3
Royston Town 2 Enfield Town 0
Potters Bar Town 3 Witham Town 0
Harrow Borough 1 Haringey Borough 1
Leiston 1 Folkestone Invicta 1
Burgess Hill Town 2 Aveley 0
Bowers & Pitsea 1 Egham Town 1
Biggleswade Town 0 Wingate & Finchley 5
Hayes & Yeading United 0 Chesham United 3
Taunton Town 2 Merthyr Town 1
Dorchester Town 2 Basingstoke Town 1
Paulton Rovers 2 Cirencester Town 2
Gosport Borough 1 Bristol Manor Farm 0
Yate Town 0 Moneyfields 1
Thame United 5 Wimborne Town 0
Larkhall Athletic 1 Farnborough 3
Swindon Supermarine 0 Hartley Wintney 3
Hereford 4 Weymouth 1
Tiverton Town 2 Banbury United 2
Kidlington 1 Slough Town 4
Shortwood United 2 Frome Town 0
Sunday 29th October
Thamesmead Town 3 Brightlingsea Regent 1
Monday 30th October
Replay
Haringey Borough 1 Harrow Borough 0
Tuesday 31st October
Replays
South Shields 4 Farsley Celtic AFC 3 (AET)
Ramsbottom United 4 Shaw Lane 1 (AET)
Stalybridge Celtic 5 Prescot Cables 1
Merstham 0 Sittingbourne 2
Harlow Town 4 Aylesbury 2
Bedford Town 2 Brentwood Town 4
Heybridge Swifts 2 Tonbridge Angels 1
Chalfont St Peter 0 Bury Town 3
Folkestone Invicta 1 Leiston 1 (AET, Leiston won 6-5 on penalties)
Thurrock 1 Kingstonian 4
Cirencester Town 0 Paulton Rovers 4
Banbury United 3 Tiverton Town 2
Wednesday 1st November
Replays
Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Newcastle Town 1
Grays Athletic 0 Cray Wanderers 2
Tuesday 7th November
Replay
Egham Town 3 Bowers & Pitsea 5 (AET) (result subject to FA investigation)
And here are the fixtures for the Second Qualifying Round taking place this weekend:-
Saturday 11th November
Lancaster City VS Stratford Town
Kidsgrove Athletic VS Grantham Town
Alvechurch VS Coalville Town
Warrington Town VS Ashton United
Altrincham VS Ramsbottom United
Stalybridge Celtic VS Rushall Olympic
Glossop North End VS Leek Town
Stamford AFC VS Droylsden
Chasetown VS Workington AFC
Hednesford Town VS Cleethorpes Town
Atherton Collieries VS Marine
St Neots Town VS Stourbridge
Barwell VS Mildenhall Town
Stafford Rangers VS South Shields
Chesham United VS Hitchin Town
Taunton Town VS Beaconsfield Town
Brentwood Town VS Needham Market
Hereford VS Potters Bar Town
Corinthian-Casuals VS Wingate & Finchley
Lewes VS Bishop's Stortford
Dorchester Town VS Heybridge Swifts
Harlow Town VS Dulwich Hamlet
Hendon VS Burgess Hill Town
Ashford Town (Middx) VS Kingstonian
Maldon & Tiptree VS Slough Town
Sittingbourne VS Haringey Borough
Thamesmead Town VS Metropolitan Police
Royston Town VS Leatherhead
Hartley Wintney VS Gosport Borough
Farnborough VS Banbury United
Thame United VS Worthing
Paulton Rovers VS Shortwood United
Margate P - P Bowers & Pitsea (pending FA investigation)
Billericay Town VS Bury Town
Dorking Wanderers VS Leiston
Moneyfields VS Cray Wanderers
So that completes my blog on the First Qualifying Round tie, my featured game has been postponed awaiting the result of the FA investigation into Bowers & Pitsea, as I said the hearing is next week (Wednesday 15th November) so we will know after this whether Margate will host either Bowers & Pitsea or Egham Town and what date it will take place.
