Season 2017/18 - Second Round Proper

Saturday 13th January
Sutton United 3 Hendon 0
Goals from Kieron Cadogan, Adam Coombes and Tommy Wright saw hosts Sutton United see off Hendon at Gander Green Lane to progress through to the Last 16 of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

The hosts came into this one as favourites, they were third in the Vanarama National League and were two leagues above Hendon who sat fifth in the Bostick Premier, however Hendon had disposed of higher league opposition in the last round in Vanarama South Bath City, although this was a much tougher assignment.

The first chance of the game arrived in the eighth minute when Hendon’s Ashley Nathaniel-George got down the left and saw his cut back try to find Niko Muir who was running in, but his effort was straight at Owen Evans in the Sutton goal.

Two minutes later the hosts had their first sight of goal as Harry Beautyman struck an effort wide of the post and then in the 14th minute Tom Bolarinwa saw an effort go straight into the arms of visiting keeper Corey Addat.

As the half approached it’s midway point Sutton’s Cadogan tried his luck from range but saw the effort go well wide, and then with the hosts now piling on the pressure Bolarinwa picked out Wright who headed his effort wide.

Hendon gave the hosts a warning that they could cause issues when Nathaniel-George flashed a shot wide of the hosts goal in the 25th minute, but with ten minutes of the half remaining the hosts grabbed the lead when a poor defensive pass out of the Hendon box went straight to Cadogan and he drove into the box and rifled a left footed effort beyond Addat.

The hosts almost doubled that lead two minutes later when Bolarinwa found Beautyman who in turn found Cadogan but the latter could only fire his shot over the bar.  However the hosts did go into the break with a one goal lead.

Half Time Sutton United 1 Hendon 0

The hosts carried on where they had left off in the first half and were back on the front foot quickly and in the 57th minute saw Hendon keeper Addat pull off back to back saves to deny the hosts a second, and then a couple of minutes later another hosts chance saw Beautyman hit a powerful effort at goal but this was also saved by Addat.

Beautyman saw an effort blocked by the Hendon backline in the 66th minute and then five minutes after that Wright burst through after a great run but could only hit is effort wide of the Hendon goal.

Most of the 785 crowd were willing a second goal for the hosts as a one goal lead can be dangerous, especially when missing the chances Sutton were creating, and in the 74th minute they finally found a second when a poor defensive header out by Downer dropped in front of Coombes and he duly volleyed brilliantly first time beyond Addat and the hosts had some breathing space.

You never really felt after this second goal that Hendon could get back into the contest and it really was game over with four minutes left when Wright cut inside and curled a delightful effort in off the post from outside the box and seal his sides passage into the Last 16 of the competition.

Full Time Sutton United 3 Hendon 0

Here are some photos of the day:-

So it's the high flying Vanarama National side who progress into the Third Round Proper of the competition and they have been drawn away to Northamptonshire side Brackley Town of the Vanarama National North, who knocked out Barrow in the last round after a replay.  They sit third in their league too and will no doubt prove a stern test for Sutton so proves to be a decent cup tie.

Here are the Second Round Proper results in full
Saturday 13th January
Ebbsfleet United 1 Warrington Town 1
Kidderminster Harriers 2 Stockport County 2
East Thurrock United 1 Chester 0
Bognor Regis Town 1 Leyton Orient 2 (AET)
Brackley Town 0 Barrow 0
Weston Super Mare 1 Workington 1
Billericay Town 3 Stourbridge 2
FC Halifax Town 1 Maidenhead United 4
Maidstone United 2 Heybridge Swifts 1
Dover Athletic 4 Marine 3
Gateshead 3 Boreham Wood 3
Wealdstone 1 Hereford 0
Sutton United 3 Hendon 0
Blyth Spartans 1 Bromley 4
Spennymoor Town 2 Solihull Moors 0
St Albans City 1 Harrogate Town 1

Tuesday 16th January
Replays
Warrington Town 2 Ebbsfleet United 0
Stockport County 3 Kidderminster Harriers 0
Barrow 0 Brackley Town 2
Workington 2 Weston Super Mare 1
Boreham Wood 1 Gateshead 2
Harrogate Town 5 St Albans City 0

So that concluded the Second Round Proper, meaning only sixteen sides remain, here is the draw for the Last 16:-
Third Round Proper
Saturday 3rd February
Harrogate Town VS Billericay Town
Maidstone United VS Gateshead
Maidenhead United VS Stockport County
Wealdstone VS Warrington Town
Brackley Town VS Sutton United
Dover Athletic VS Leyton Orient
Spennymoor Town VS East Thurrock United
Workington VS Bromley

My featured tie comes from St James Park, Brackley, for the Brackley Town Vs Sutton United tie.  Both are flying high in their respective divisions so both will be confident of progressing into the Quarter Finals of the competition.  Sutton have the edge being the higher of the two in the pyramid however it should be a stern test against the Vanarama North hosts. 

Season 2017/18 - First Round Proper

Saturday 16th December
Hendon 2 Bath City 1
It was First Round Proper day in the Buildbase FA Trophy, the Final 64, and I was at Silver Jubilee Park in North West London as Bostick Premier Hendon hosted Vanarama South Bath City.

Hendon had seen off Slough Town over two games and a penalty shoot out, whilst Bath City also needed penalties to squeeze past Margate to reach this stage, and with Hendon and Margate 7th and 8th in the Bostick Premier, the 12th placed Vanarama South Roman’s knew another tough test awaited them.

And also Hendon, like Margate, played on 3G, so their were a lot of similarities heading into this one.  And with the recent poor weather, it was probably a good thing!

The opening quarter saw both sides feeling each other out but the first opening didn’t arrive until the 18th minute, and it was the visitors who had it, as a lucky ricochet fell to them, but the resulting effort was rifled across goal.

Moments later the visitors sent a free header straight at the keeper, before Bath went close again as after they had asked for a penalty, a poor Hendon clearance found the visitors, who fired an effort just over the bar.

Eight minutes before the break Hendon had their first real opening as a ball across saw a deflected effort go just to far in front of a fellow teammate and he could only get his studs on it and see it drift harmlessly wide.

But with six minutes of the half remaining Hendon got their noses in front as a nod down from a set piece found centre half Arthur Lee in the six yard box who converted first time past the visitors backline on the goal line, and it meant the Bostick Premier side led at the half.

Half Time Hendon 1 Bath City 0

The players returned to the field with the rain now coming down, and whatever was said in the visitors dressing room at the break worked, as just two minutes into the second period Tom Smith ghosted in to finish from close range and bring the Romans level.

Bath had their tails up now and should of gone when the visitors pounced on a defensive error but saw the keeper make a comfortable save, before down the other end Hendon saw a deflected effort go into the keeper’s hands.

Just past the hour mark the visitors created a great opening as a great turn saw them in on goal but a poor finish meant an easy save for the hosts keeper, before in the 68th minute the hosts attacked and saw a cross shot deflected into the side netting. Some thought it had gone in, and the rain was now pouring down, it was a proper cup tie for sure.

The Romans passed up another decent opportunity when they saw a snap shot go straight at the keeper, before the hosts retook the lead in the 74th minute when substitute Keagan Cole converted a cut back with his first touch and gave Hendon around twenty minutes to hang onto the lead.

But moments later they should of lost that lead when the visitors fizzed two balls across the box, but somehow Hendon survived, and with ten minutes remaining the hosts broke but only a brilliant last ditch tackle thwarted them after cutting back onto right foot.

With three minutes left Hendon sent a dangerous ball into the visitors box which was just about cleared, before Bath attacked themselves in search of an equaliser to possibly force a Tuesday night replay at Twerton Park.

However in the first minute of stoppage time Hendon should of sealed it when another break from a Bath attack saw them bearing down on goal,  but the visiting keeper denied them, meaning Bath had three minutes of stoppage to salvage something.

But Hendon held firm and saw off the Vanarama South outfit to make it through to the Last 32 of the competition.

Full Time Hendon 2 Bath City 1 

Here are some photos of the day:-

So Hendon shock Vanarama South Bath City to reach the Last 32 of the Trophy, and they now travel to face high flying Vanarama National side Sutton United at Gander Green Lane on Saturday 13th January.  Gonna be tough for the Bostick Premier side although depends what sort of team the hosts field, so we shall wait and see.

Here are the First Round Proper results in full
Saturday 16th December
Solihull Moors A - A Tranmere Rovers (Match Abandoned due to floodlight failure)
Kidderminster Harriers 2 York City 1
Chorley 1 Marine 3
Chester 2 AFC Fylde 2 (AET, Chester won 5-4 on penalties)
Wrexham 0 Harrogate Town 2
Leamington 0 Stourbridge 1
Lancaster City 1 Stockport County 3
Warrington Town 0 Altrincham 0
Nuneaton Town 0 Barrow 1
Workington 1 Hartlepool United 0
Haringey Borough 1 Leyton Orient 2
Dover Athletic 3 Eastbourne Borough 0
Wealdstone 1 Wingate & Finchley 0
Billericay Town 3 Havant & Waterlooville 1
Sutton United 1 Truro City 0
Woking 0 Maidenhead United 2
Whitehawk 1 St Albans City 2
East Thurrock United 4 Aldershot Town 0
Hendon 2 Bath City 1
Ebbsfleet United 2 Eastleigh 1
Torquay United 0 Maidstone United 4
Hartley Wintney 0 Bromley 2
Braintree Town 0 Brackley Town 0
Taunton Town 1 Bognor Regis Town 4
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 Heybridge Swifts 1
Dartford 1 Boreham Wood 1

Sunday 17th December
Hereford 3 Dagenham & Redbridge 2

Monday 18th December
Solihull Moors 2 Tranmere Rovers 0

Tuesday 19th December
Blyth Spartans 1 AFC Telford United 0
Chesham United 0 Weston Super Mare 2

Replays
Altrincham 1 Warrington Town 2
Brackley Town 2 Braintree Town 0
Heybridge Swifts 3 Hampton & Richmond Borough 2
Boreham Wood 2 Dartford 2 (AET, Boreham Wood won 3-1 on penalties)

Wednesday 20th December
Gateshead 2 Guiseley 1 (AET)

Tuesday 9th January
FC Halifax Town 1 Macclesfield Town 0
Spennymoor Town 4 Gainsborough Trinity 4 (AET, Spennymoor Town won 5-3 on penalties)

Notable results see the holders York City crash out at Kidderminster Harriers whilst last years runners up Macclesfield Town are also out, losing to FC Halifax Town.  This means there will be a different name on this years Trophy and two different teams competing at Wembley on Non League Finals Day too.

Here are the Second Round Proper fixtures taking place this weekend
Saturday 13th January
Ebbsfleet United VS Warrington Town
Kidderminster Harriers VS Stockport County
East Thurrock United VS Chester
Bognor Regis Town VS Leyton Orient (extra time & penalties agreed, no replay)
Brackley Town VS Barrow AFC
Weston Super Mare VS Workington AFC
Billericay Town VS Stourbridge
FC Halifax Town VS Maidenhead United
Maidstone United VS Heybridge Swifts
Dover Athletic VS Marine
Gateshead VS Boreham Wood
Wealdstone VS Hereford
Sutton United VS Hendon
Blyth Spartans AFC VS Bromley
Spennymoor Town VS Solihull Moors (extra time & penalties agreed, no replay)
St Albans City VS Harrogate Town

I'll be at Gander Green Lane for Sutton United vs Hendon, only my second visit to that ground and I am looking forward to it.  I'll be back with a blog on the Last 32 once the round is completed sometime next week or week after.