The first-round proper of the FA Cup is rightly held up as one of the best weekends on the footballing calendar and it did not disappoint this year. With the spotlight turned on the lower league and in particular the non-league teams, it is a chance for the players and managers alike to put themselves in the shop window, and also for the lower tiers of the footballing pyramid to do exactly the same. For many football fans, it is the first opportunity to see what football is like in the lower reaches of the English game, and as is almost always the case, it certainly did not disappoint.
In a way the qualifying rounds are just preparation for the first round and hopefully beyond. The further you go, the closer to the first round and ultimately the third, it is increasingly hard to not play with one eye on the potential games ahead. When those games do come, it is therefore vital that everything you have done before does not go out the window on the big stage. It’s very much akin to practicing poker or roulette using monopoly money, then walking into a casino and knowing how to win at poker and blackjack, or how to win at slots and roulette. It’s all about holding your nerve and not changing simply because the stakes are higher. So which teams held their nerve the best last weekend?
The most incredible story of the round is undoubtedly that of Buxton, and not merely because of the Northern Premier League outfit’s victory. Just days before the game – Buxton’s first FA Cup tie since 1962 – manager and coach Gary Hayward and Mark Ward were sacked. That in itself may not be too surprising, this is football after all. A look at the table however shows that from their 6 league games this season, they have won five, drawing once. They are a side on the up. The reason for the sacking then? Mark Ward was missing the game due to family holiday commitments.
Steve Cunningham stepped in and saw his new side triumph over York, with former York loanee Diego De Girolamo getting a deserved late winner. A home tie against League One Morecombe awaits.
The National League saw four teams make it through. League leaders Boreham Wood eased past fellow tier five Eastleigh, notching their first win over the Hampshire club in eight attempts. Their 2 – 0 victory sees them with a home tie against Tier 6 St Albans, so will be confident they will be in the hat for the third round. That said, St Albans produced perhaps the performance of the round beating Forest Green – currently sat top of League Two – 3 – 2 in a pulsating tie.
Chesterfield booked their place in the next round, and a visit to Salford City, courtesy of a 3 – 1 win over fellow National League side Southend, coming back from a fourth minute Rhys Murphy goal. There is no doubt where the tie of the round and probably the whole competition took place. In a tremendous advert for the National league, FC Halifax beat Maidenhead 7 – 4 in an incredible match. Pete Wild’s team have earned a reputation for being hard to score against this season, but that went out the window in a crazy game at The Shay.
Yeovil Town made short work of Yate Town, scoring three times in the first half hour to ease any nerves. They had increased their tally to five with no reply by full time and will be looking forward to inviting MK Dons or Stevenage to Huish Park. Kidderminster earned their place in the second round with a hard-fought victory over Grimsby, the one goal of the game stroked home from the penalty spot by Ashley Hemmings in the 72 minute.
Other notable efforts saw Solihull earn a very creditable 0 – 0 draw against former cup winners Wigan, Harrow Borough push another former winner Portsmouth all the way, and the 5000 travelling Stockport fans who saw their team share four goals against Bolton. These fantastic performances mean there is still a lot of non-league representation, and a guarantee that there will be for the third round. In a time when football finances have never been tighter, that is so, so crucial.
