Kentish Football 
FA CUP: Reaction to Second Qualifying Round Draw
Monday 13th September 2010
THIRTEEN Kent non-league sides are only three wins away from reaching the first round proper of The FA Cup and today’s Second Qualifying Round draw has thrown up three mouth-watering Kent derbies, writes Stephen McCartney.
Arguably, the tie of the round will be at Hayes Lane when Ryman Premier League side Cray Wanderers welcome Blue Square Bet South side Ebbsfleet United on Saturday 28 September, a fixture that will attract the Wands largest crowd of the season.
Cray’s assistant manager Joe Francis told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “One to look forward to. It should be an exciting game, big crowd.
“It’s nice to be playing against a team considered to be better than you and it’s the FA Cup - we saw that yesterday.”
Cray Wanderers, now in their 150th season, have never reached the first round proper before, the closest they got was losing to then Conference outfit Grays Athletic in the fourth qualifying round five years ago.
They needed a 92nd minute strike from striker Laurent Hamici to dispose of Combined Counties League Division One minnows South Park in the last round yesterday. The Kent side had midfielder Chris Saunders red carded after 15 minutes, and experienced South Park keeper James Wastell was excellent.
Francis added: “You’ve got to just keep knocking on the door. We said that at the beginning of the game and we said that again at half-time - it just arrived quite late.
“James Wastell always seems to play well against us and he had a blinder yesterday. He must have saved seven or eight really good chances but that’s what the FA Cup is all about, isn’t it?”
Cray Wanderers will be underdogs against The Fleet in their next FA Cup tie.
“Sometimes that can galvanise you. I do honestly think it’s best to be in that position rather than the other way round because you don’t need much motivating. We’re really looking forward to it.”
“It’s going to be a very tough game and we know that they’re a very organised side. They play in the league above, which is very competitive so it should be an interesting afternoon.”
Fellow assistant manager, Paul Blade, meanwhile, is also looking forward to the Kent derby against Liam Daish’s side.
“We will be the underdogs this time but we’re at home so they have to be at their best as we will have to be but we’ll do our home work on them,” Blade told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“But it’s another game to us but the league is more important and we’ll deal with that game when it comes around but I’m happy with the home draw.”
The FA Cup can bring financial bonuses to clubs and with £4,500 in prize money, Welling United player-manager Jamie Day is praying for an away win at their Blue Square Bet South rivals Braintree Town, in the club’s first FA Cup tie of the season.
The club have been strangled by a transfer embargo imposed on them by the Football Conference, which allows Day to field the sixteen players that started their first league game on 14 August.
That means the two other players in his squad, Lee Clarke and Loick Pires, are still waiting for their first game of the season.
The Park View Road outfit are hopeful they can change this situation this week.
A statement issued on www.wellingunited.com said: “We wish to confirm that the embargo placed upon the club remains in force at the present time as a result of the Football Conference taking the view that the club do not have an acceptable agreement in place with the HMRC in respect of the monies due (notwithstanding the adjournment of the winding up petition which the HMRC did not oppose, and their acceptance of the part payment of arrears together with all current tax and VAT being paid up to date).
“The Football Conference have also withheld payment of solidarity monies of £8,000 to the club.
“Further attempts to resolve this matter will be made by the club's solicitors Leathes Prior today in advance of a Football Conference Hearing due to be heard in London on Thursday 16 September.”
“I would have preferred a home draw but we will go there full of confidence and hopefully progress to the next round,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“The boys know the further we can get the better as it will benefit the club and in the current situation it will be a boost financially.”
WHITSTABLE TOWN are Kent’s sole representatives from Ryman League Division One South and manager Mark Lane takes his side to play Canvey Island, who play in the league above.
“I would have preferred a home draw and it will be difficult but not impossible,” Lane told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“There will be no pressure on us and it will be nice to be the underdogs for a change.”
MARGATE will face fellow Ryman Premier Leaguers Kingstonian at Hartsdown Park, after defeating Hellenic League minnows Binfield 3-0 on Saturday - with former Dartford defender Tommy Osborne getting on the score sheet.
Manager Iain O’Connell, who was speaking to www.margate-fc.com, was pleased that his side came away from Berkshire unscathed.
“They made it really hard for us. First half, they stuck everyone behind the ball, didn’t really leave anyone up. It was hard to break them down.
“We needed to play with a little bit more tempo in the second half and we did that."
“We scored three good goals to be honest, great finishes.”
Osborne wasn’t renowned for his goalscoring antics at his previous club, and O’Connell praised the former Dartford defender.
“It was the best goal out of the three. He beat about four players in the box, it was a tremendous goal. He was my man of the match because he had a good game (all round) as well. But the goal was awesome.”
O’Connell hoped for a home tie in the next round, but Kingstonian will be a tough nut to crack.
“It would be lovely to have an FA Cup run,” he said. “Hopefully we can progress even further.”
ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Micky Collins has already pulled off two shocks by knocking out Gosport Borough and Corinthian-Casuals this year - and his reward is a trip to play their Kent League rivals Hythe Town.
“I thought Saturday was a great day fro Kent League clubs in the FA Cup,” Collins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“It was good to see four clubs going into the draw, hopefully we all get the ties we want.
“After gaining a good result against Gosport in the last round then having to go to go to another club higher than us, I knew it would be a tough ask Saturday, but we played very well on the day and deservedly got the win.”
Looking ahead to their trip to Reachfields Stadium to face Hythe Town, Collins added: “Hythe away is a very tough game but we have had to go away from home in all three rounds so far.
“We will treat it like every game and have our game plan and hope the lads perform on the day.
“The positive for the Kent League is it’s guaranteed a representative in the next round. One things for sure it will be a great game to watch and hopefully there will be a good sized crowd.”
HYTHE TOWN secretary Martin Giles saw the club reach the Second Qualifying Round last season, taking Blue Square Bet South giants Woking to two games before finally crashing out 5-1 at Kingfield Stadium.
“Our view on the draw is that if we are at our best we can win it - and that is not always something you can say at this stage,” Mr Giles told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“They do have some very good players, but then so do we. I am sure that both clubs would have preferred not to have Kent League opposition but this is the third time in four years we have reached this stage and we have had a home tie each time so we cannot be complaining.”
ERITH TOWN pulled off a giant-killing by sending Slough Town, second in the Zamaretto Division One Central, packing thanks to Rikki Cable’s strike.
Reflecting on the game, Dockers assistant, Tony Russell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that his side deserved to beat the former Conference outfit.
“To be fair, really good, really good,” he said. “They were a good side, obviously, but to be fair, anyone that was there, it wasn’t a smash-and-grab. I thought we deserved it.
“I thought it was a tight game, a few chances, but we probably edged it on chances.
“It was a scrappy game. We’ve been working at training on our shape, loads of patterns of play when we haven’t got the ball, keeping our shape and we done that really well.
“Steve (O’Boyle, Erith Town’s manager) said to me with half-an-hour to go, he said how long to go and to be fair I said to them, I couldn’t see them scoring. They ran out of ideas at the end as our shape was so good so they kept putting balls into the box.
“I don’t remember (goalkeeper) Tim Roberts having to do too much so it wasn’t a game of chances but we deserved to win and everyone’s chuffed at the club.”
Erith Town’s reward is a visit of one of Kent’s largest football clubs, Dover Athletic, who play three league’s higher than the Kent League Dockers, in Blue Square Bet South.
“To be fair, me and Steve spoke about it and it was a mixed reaction, I’ve got to admit, but we’re chuffed to bits, a well respected side coming down to our ground” said Russell.
“We’d like an easier draw but that’s what we’ve been dealt with and we have to deal with that.
“On paper we’ve got no right, no chances, but it’s the FA Cup and you never know and if we apply ourselves and do our jobs the best we can, you never know.
“They’re certainly a good side and we have to be at our best and hope they have an off day to nick it.
“The pressure’s off us and we can go and enjoy it. It’s a bonus game for us. These sort of games are brilliant for the club financially. But we have a belief in our dressing room, you never know, you never know.”
With an eight-lane athletics’ pitch surrounding the pitch and no real cover for supporters, Russell hopes those surroundings will distract Martin Hayes’ quality side.
He said: “We have to use that to our advantage. We’re at home and their not used to coming to grounds like that and if that can help us in anyway then we’ll certainly play on that.”
BROMLEY will travel to Woodside Park to take on fellow Blue Square Bet South side Bishop’s Stortford.
It will be the second time in under a month that the two sides have met at Woodside Park, with Harrison Dunk (the left-back, who has recently had a trial with Charlton Athletic) scoring the only goal off the game from the penalty spot during the league encounter at the end of August.
Looking ahead to their clash in Herfordshire, Bromley's assistant manager Hayden Bird told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: "I think the draw could have been kinder to us, that’s certainly true. Albeit the team’s in very good form and having won at Bishop’s Stortford once already this season, we’re confident we can go there and get a positive result."
Looking ahead to their clash in Herfordshire, Bromley's assistant manager Hayden Bird told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: "I think the draw could have been kinder to us, that’s certainly true. Albeit the team’s in very good form and having won at Bishop’s Stortford once already this season, we’re confident we can go there and get a positive result."
BECKENHAM TOWN have drawn Blue Square South side St Albans City, who parked the team bus during their 1-1 league draw at Bromley at the weekend.
Jason Huntley’s side came through a 3-2 home win over fellow Kent League rivals Norton Sports, courtesy of goals from Quentin Conteh, Danny Gorman and recent arrival from Chertsey Town, defender Mick McNamara.
They will hope history repeats itself as the last time Beckenham played St Albans City was in the London Senior Cup back in 1982, the Kent side winning 2-0 at Clarence Park.
FOLKSTONE INVICTA welcome Ridgeons League outfit Leiston to Cheriton Road.
A fan of the Suffolk side warned Neil Cugley’s side not to expect an easy ride.
“We are in the Ridgeons League, which is two league’s below Folkestone. Two season’s ago we became only one of three sides to ever reach the First Round proper from the Extra Preliminary Round, winning at Carshalton and Lewes before bowing out in a replay at Fleetwood.”
DARTFORD can expect a bumper gate against well supported Ryman Premier Leaguers Lowestoft Town.
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Second Qualifying Round Draw - Involving Kent sides:
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Second Qualifying Round Draw - Involving Kent sides:
Bishop's Stortford v Bromley
Braintree Town v Welling United
Canvey Island v Whitstable Town
Cray Wanderers v Ebbsfleet United
Dartford v Lowestoft Town
Erith Town v Dover Athletic
Folkestone Invicta v Leiston
Hythe Town v Erith & Belvedere
Margate v Kingstonian
St Albans City v Beckenham Town
Ties to be played Saturday 28 September 2010
For view the Second Qualifying Round draw in full visit: http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/Fixtures
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