FA Cup football this Tuesday (22nd)
The fine weather is due to break so if you’d like a bit of fresh air tomorrow night there’s some FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round action within striking distance of the Chair Metropolis. Games are at 7.45 & must be concluded on the night:
Leighton Town v Mildenhall Town **
(** earthquakes permitting **)
Burnham v Northwood
Frimley Green v Marlow
Cobham v Risborough Rangers
Beaconsfield Town v Harrow Borough
Chalfont St Peter v Farnborough
Aylesbury United v Moneyfields
If you go to a game why not put a short report on here afterwards?
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Aylesbury United v Moneyfields is of course being played at Chesham Utd FC.
Beaconsfield game is tonight
Beaconsfield have their fa cup tie tonight, playing a fairly useful looking Harrow. It's 2-0 to Harrow at half time. Not a bad crowd, couple of hundred. And Rebellion at the bar so could be worse.
Full-time:
Beaconsfield Town 0 Harrow Borough 2
@A_Worboys Do you know what levels of football are still allowing supporters?
There was a good crowd at Beaconsfield last night, at least double what they might have expected (I heard someone say), with a fair few supporting Harrow. I've not seen a figure published but maybe 300 there, with a third from Harrow? Ironically it could be that the clubs at the bottom of the pyramid, where supporters are allowed in, will actually benefit from the restrictions.
(I saw the same thing in August where an excellent crowd turned out for a Bucks v Oxon one day cricket match - with, I'm sure, a substantial increase in bar takings too of course).
@Doob it is clubs below National League South/north that can admit spectators up to a maximum of 300. Chesham United are at the highest playing I understand.
There are some crazy rules - eg the two teams can kick lumps out of each other for 45 minutes but at half time one team waits on the pitch until the other team has gone to the dressing room, obviously only one ball is used in the game but teams mustn't share the ball during warm up etc but if that is what it takes to play, so be it.
Incidentally Merthyr Town (who I think are the reincarnation of Merthyr Tydfil who we have played in cup and league in the past) have had to pull out of the FA Cup and ask not to play league games this season but to retain their place as supporters are not allowed in wales.
Half-time:
Chalfont St Peter 2 Farnborough 1
Very good game. Chalfont 2-0 up after 10 minutes but Farnborough have fought back strongly. Around 200 here - about half from Farnborough.
Full-time:
Chalfont St Peter 2 Farnborough 3
Underdogs Chalfont made a great game of this but Farnborough edged through to the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round with a last minute winner.
Chalfont led 2-0 after 10 minutes but the visitors halved the deficit midway through the first-half. After incessant pressure in the second-half Farnborough equalised from the penalty spot but then broke Chalfont hearts with a very late winner. A really good FA Cup-tie watched by real fans & no over-dubbed crowd noise!
Aylesbury United out, Chesham United out, Chalfont St Peter out & Binfield out - from this year’s FA Cup. But Marlow, Burnham & Risborough Rangers march on.
Aylesbury United drew 2-2 with Portsmouth side Moneyfields at the Meadow tonight but the visitors went through 4-3 on penalties.
Chesham United travelled to Sussex to take on Hastings United. The match ended 0-0 but Hastings progressed 6-5 on penalties.
Binfield lost 2-0 at Whyteleafe & in the match I saw Chalfont St Peter let a 2 goal lead slip against Farnborough, who went on to snatch a late winner and edge the tie 3-2. A great game though.
Marlow also drew, away st Frimley Green but went through to the next round after a 4-1 penalty shootout win. Burnham scraped past Northwood 1-0 at the Gore.
Pride of place tonight goes to minnows Risborough Rangers who travelled to Surrey to play Cobham and came back to Bucks with a very creditable 3-1 win.
After a tough draw it proved mixed fortunes for our local sides this evening but well done to Marlow, Risborough Rangers & Burnham who progress to the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round.
Went to Burnham v Northwood tonight. Decent game. 237 in attendance. Burnham did well and deserved winners. Really good ground for a non-league if you’ve not been. Saw a couple of Wanderers fans there enjoying some live football!
After today’s increased regulations & no return in sight for fans to return to watch EFL games I shall try and list more Non-League games locally if you want to see some live football.
This coming Saturday, both Flackwell Heath and Holmer Green are at home in the Hellenic League. For £5/6 entry it’s a good option after the lunchtime kick-off between Wycombe & Swansea City. Watching football below National League level may be the only option for seeing live football for weeks, and possibly months. Sad times.
Thanks for the updates as ever @A_Worboys.
Really pleased to hear about Risborough’s success, huge for a club like them to be in the 2nd qualifying round!
I went and watched Risborough R last week when they played and comfortably beat Langley 5-0 in their opening league game. They look a very good and well organised side who play a very effective high press and should gain promotion this season after being harshly denied last season.
The football they play wouldn’t look out of place a couple of steps higher so I wasn’t surprised they beat Cobham last night. A club definitely on the up...
Tavistock v Gosport
Two leagues between these two and from the start it was clear that Gosport were the bigger faster more skillful side. One up in ten minutes, only a series of fine saves stopped game being over by halftime. Ten minutes into security nd half Tavi equalized and a cracking tie ensued. Tails up Tavi pressed and went agonizingly close to a shock lead. Then a flowing passing move cross header goal and Gosport lead again. Ten minutes from time penalty to Tavi and star man Crago keeps his nerve 2-2. End to end thrills and spills and then deep in injury time starman Crago is released on the left beats his
Man and fires past the keeper’s agonizing fingertips ... and just past the post.
In a raucous atmosphere, social distancing abandoned seven quality penalties and then starman Crago has his pen saved. A linesman’s flag, chaos,keeper was off line, Crago is reprieved. He steps up again. Saved again. Seconds later Tavi are out
Six mile cycle ride home but 400 ft climb on a dark lonely cycle path cloudless night lit by a thousand stars.
Home tired but exhilarated after a fantastic night out.
Kidlington v Salisbury last night. Kidlington at least seem to be benefitting from fans not being allowed to watch 'elite' football. Their usual attendance is around the 50-70 mark but last night's game saw closer to 300 fans in attendance, many making use of the cheap bar which in turn added to a great, lively atmosphere compared to the often library-like ambience of the place. The home side went a goal up early in the 2nd half after an Allsop-like save'n'drop from the Salisbury keeper saw the loose ball stabbed home and thereafter it was all Salisbury pressure. The Greens held on til the 95th minute but won the ensuing penalty shoot-out 4-2 to make for a relative giant-killing.
I do wonder what might happen to the later qualifying rounds if the National leagues decide to pack up shop for the season.
And therein lies the problem with letting supporters into grounds. Football is an emotional game and nigh-on impossible to remain rationale when, for example, you score a last minute equaliser/winner.
@MindlessDrugHoover the feedback from the chair of my local National League outfit (Dover Athletic) is definitely not good, they get no TV money but cannot have match day attendance so are losing money hand over fist. Their scheduled season start (3/10) has been pushed back because of the "no attendance" rule and with the possibility of no crowds before March the noises are the season may be cancelled, which without support from the higher reaches of the pyramid means a whole raft of clubs shutting up shop with all that that means.