Date: Fri 29 Oct 2021

By Steve Whitney

Buildbase FA Trophy Preview

It`s Buildbase FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round action for the majority of Pitching In Southern Football League clubs this weekend.

And there are some fascinating ties with a number of Premier Division Central and South teams putting their reputations on the line as they take on sides from lower divisions.

Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Ilkeston Town will now travel to the Victoria Ground to take on a managerless Bromsgrove Sporting team following the departure of Brendan Kelly earlier this week.

Very often, teams under interim management initially do well, so Rouslers supporters will be hoping that happens on Saturday!

Chesham United also have home advantage when they welcome Isthmian League South Central neighbours Bracknell Town to the Meadow.

The Robins currently sit second in the table and have two well-known non-League strikers in Dave Tarpey and Duncan Culley, who has done well in the Southern League in the past with the likes of Hayes & Yeading United and Farnborough.

Banbury United and Corby Town are old rivals and meet at Steel Park.

Although they have met many times in the league, they have never been drawn together in the Trophy before.

The Steelmen were switched by the FA in the summer to the newly formed Northern Premier Division One Midlands and Gary Mills` side have had a mixed start, winning five and losing six of their twelve games to date and come up against a Puritans outfit in form and unbeaten in the league.

Alvechurch and Chasetown have also met several times before in league action.

Ian Long`s men travel to The Scholars in good form, sitting joint top of the NPL Division One Midlands with only one league defeat to date.

Premier Division South high-flyers Hayes & Yeading United make the trip to Essex to take on Isthmian North side Heybridge Swifts.

Swifts have struggled this season so far and parted company with former West Ham United and Liverpool star Julian Dicks as manager last month, replacing him with ex-Southend United boss Steve Tilson.

Rushall Olympic have a mouth-watering local derby at another of the NPL Division One Midlands teams, Sporting Khalsa.

The sides have only previously met in local cup competitions but the Pics head to Noose Lane in good form and will have a good following amongst what should be a healthy crowd.

Another NPL Division One Midlands versus Premier Division Central tie takes place at the Sir Halley Stewart Fields where Spalding United welcome Tamworth.

The Tulips come into the game on the back of successive defeats, including one to Sporting Khalsa.

But the Lambs are not in top form at present as they take on a side they have never met before in cup competition.

Isthmian South Central club South Park host Emirates FA Cup heroes Harrow Borough at Whitehall Lane and are in decent form, including a 6-0 walloping of Sutton Common Rovers earlier this month.

The teams have only met once before, that was back in November 2017 when Harrow won 4-0 in the Alan Turvey Trophy.

If Nuneaton Borough supporters are looking for omens a they travel to Julius Martin Lane to take on NPL Division One Midlands outfit Soham Town Rangers, then they only have to check the records.

They will discover the teams have only met twice when both were in the Southern Division One Midlands in 2008/09.

Nuneaton won both games 2-0 and eventually won the play-off final that season to win promotion to the Premier Division.

Nuneaton`s league rivals Lowestoft Town have home advantage as they take on Soham`s league rivals Yaxley.

It`s the first time the sides have come across one another and both have similar recent records in the league, so Trawlerboys supporters will be hoping there is no upset by the Cuckoos.

Another tie which has paired an NPL Division One Midlands outfit at home to a Premier Division Central side sees Wisbech Town host Biggleswade Town.

The Waders go into the match in decent form, while the Fenmen halted a poor run with a Trophy win at Bury Town and two league draws.

Premier Division South side Walton Casuals host Isthmian North outfit Great Wakering Rovers at the Embridge Sports Hub.

It`s another tie which sees one of the participants without a manager following Steve Butterworth`s departure from the Rovers` hot seat earlier this week.

It`s a game that Stags` supporters will be wary of though, especially with the caretaker boss bounce that usually follows and the fact that Rovers have only won once in the league to date!

However, they did score three goals against Premier Division Central promotion hopefuls Peterborough Sports in September in the FA Cup, although the Turbines did hit five in reply!

There are several Southern League Division One South and Central clubs looking to create an upset this weekend.

And one of the most intriguing ties takes place at The Snows Stadium where Division One South side AFC Totton welcome Premier Division South strugglers Dorchester Town.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn`t be flagged up as particularly more interesting than many other games in the round. However, the match has been given a bigger focus due to the fact that the Stags` successful management team of Glenn Howes and James Wood have this week departed for….Dorchester!

Another interesting tie sees Division One Central Bedford Town promotion chasers take on three-time Trophy winners Stafford Rangers of the NPL Premier Division at The Eyrie.

The sides last met in the competition back in 1972/73 – the season after Rangers had won the Trophy for the first time.

That day, Stafford won 4-1 in the quarter-finals but were beaten by Wigan Athletic in the semi-final.

Division One South new boys Plymouth Parkway have settled into Step 4 football reasonably well so far and welcome Premier Division South side Merthyr Town to Bolitho Park on Saturday.

The sides have met before, with the Martyrs winning both times in the FA Cup in 2015/16 and again in 2019/20.

Another league newcomer, Division One Central Waltham Abbey, have a tough task as they journey to the Sussex coast to take on Isthmian League Premier Division side Bognor Regis Town.

They have played each other twice before when the Abbots had their one season as an Isthmian Premier side in 2009/10.

Bognor lost both home and away and finished bottom that season, with the Abbots finishing 3 points and a place above them.

Another Isthmian Premier outfit, Merstham, welcomes the Abbots` league rivals Welwyn Garden City to Moatside.

It`s the first time the teams have met in competitive action and this one could have plenty of goals in it, as it`s been feast or famine for the Moatsiders this season to date, having won 6 and lost 7 of their 13 league games, scoring 21 goals and conceding 21!

The Citizens manager Nick Ironton won the Trophy with Enfield in 1981/82, so it will always be a special competition for the former England semi-professional international.

Two ties see Division One sides hosting Premier Division South opposition with hopes of causing an upset.

Frome Town host Poole Town at Badger`s Hill and are in prime form.

Danny Greaves` side are still unbeaten in Division One South and knocked Vanarama National League South outfit Oxford City out of the FA Cup last month.

Tom Killick`s Dolphins will be looking to get back on track after suffering back-to-back 4-1 defeats in the league.

Division One Central side Thame United have Wimborne Town journeying up to The ASM Stadium.

And although Mark West`s side haven`t quite produced the form predicted by many pundits before a ball was kicked, they will fancy their chances against a Magpies outfit who have only won once this season to date and currently sit second-from-bottom in the table.

Yate Town are enjoying a terrific season and made it through to the First Round of the FA Cup by knocking out National League strugglers Dover Athletic on Tuesday night.

The Bluebells entertain Division One South side Willand Rovers, who have endured an inconsistent season to date.

Sunday sees Premier Division South`s bottom-markers Kings Langley journey to Bromley`s Hayes Lane to play Isthmian Premier side Cray Wanderers.

The Wands, managed by Danny Kedwell, who still plays in attack, possess a former Trophy winner in Andy Drury, who helped Stevenage Borough lift the cup in 2009.

Another Division One South side looking for a Sunday upset are Cirencester Town who make the trip to Premier Division South outfit Truro City`s temporary home at Plymouth Parkway`s Bolitho Park.

The White Tigers` defenders will need to be on their toes as the Centurians` have scored 16 goals in their last three matches, including a 5-1 win against Kidlington in the previous round!

There are several all-Premier Division ties that will ensure Southern League representation in Monday`s draw.

Gosport Borough v Salisbury
Hednesford Town v Peterborough Sports
Hitchin Town v Leiston
Redditch United v Stourbridge
St Ives Town v Needham Market
Tiverton Town v Swindon Supermarine
Weston-super-Mare v Taunton Town

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