Buildbase FA Trophy First Round Preview

It`s the Buildbase FA Trophy First Round this weekend, with several clubs from the Pitching In Southern Football League looking to produce `upsets`.

New Division One Central leaders Bedford Town, who took over top spot on Tuesday night, welcome Isthmian League Premier Division side Potters Bar Town to The Eyrie on Saturday looking to cause an upset.

The Eagles have not enjoyed a particularly successful time of it in the competition in recent years – the Second Round is the best they have managed since 1999/2000 when they made it through to the Fourth Round when, as an Isthmian League Division One side, they were beaten 4-0 at home by Conference side Yeovil Town.

They were semi-finalists back in 1974/75 when they lost 6-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Scarborough.

Bedford`s visitors have only competed in the Trophy since 2005/06 and this is actually the furthest they have been.

This is Plymouth Parkway`sfirst season in the competition, having been promoted to Division One South from the Toolstation Western League in the summer.

Their first-ever Trophy tie produced a 5-3 away win at league rivals Highworth Town and they followed that up by causing a shock in the Third Qualifying Round by beating Premier Division South side Merthyr Town 1-0 at Bolitho Park.

Visiting the Devon port this time are Merthyr`s league rivals Salisbury.

This version of the Whites, formed in 2015, have reached the Second Round twice in 2018/19 and in 2019/20 but Steve Claridge`s side were knocked out at home by lower league Bracknell Town at this stage of the competition last season.

This is only Division One Central club Welwyn Garden City`s fourth season in the Trophy after coming up from the Spartan South Midlands League at the end of the 2017/18 season.

However, Nick Ironton`s side enjoyed an excellent run last season in winning away at Haywards Heath Town and Horsham and at home against Hednesford Town and Burgess Hill Town before bowing out to Vanarama National League outfit Aldershot Town, also at home, 5-1 at the Third Round stage.

Ironton has a good record in the Trophy, having led Arlesey Town to the quarter-final as a manager in 2003/04 and winning the competition as a player with Enfield in 1987/88.

The Citizens welcome Isthmian League Premier Division side Carshalton Athletic to Herns Way on Saturday and on current form, it`s going to be a tough test for Ironton`s men.

The Robins have won their last two league games 6-1 against Brightlingsea Regent and 5-0 against Folkestone Invicta, albeit both were at their own War Memorial Sports Ground.

And Carshalton, managed by Peter Adeniyi, have a decent Trophy record considering that the competition has been dominated by National League teams in recent seasons.

Looking to see off a team from the Premier Division South are Division One South club Willand Rovers, who make the trip to Hartley Wintney.

Rovers, in just their third campaign in the competition, reached this stage last season before losing 3-1 at the Row`s league rivals Poole Town.

And if their visitors needed a warning, they only have to look at Rovers` last round when they knocked out another Premier Division South side in Yate Town – and on the Bluebells own patch as well!

Hartley Wintney welcome Rovers on the back of a 5-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Kings Langley on Tuesday night and are also novices in the competition, this being their fifth campaign after coming up from the Combined Counties League.

They did reach the First Round in their first season in the Trophy in 2017/18 when they were eventually beaten 2-0 by National League side Bromley at home.

Making a relatively short trip to Theobalds Lane to take on Isthmian Premier Division side Cheshunt are Division One Central promotion chasers Berkhamsted.

Berko lost their unbeaten league record last Saturday at home to Ware and face an Ambers outfit currently sitting in fifth spot in the table after Tuesday`s 2-1 win at Leatherhead.

Berkhamsted won a lengthy 6-5 penalty shoot-out against Northwood to reach this stage, having dispensed with league rivals Barton Rovers in the earlier round.

This version of the club have only competed in three previous Trophy seasons and this is the furthest they have gone.

Cheshunt, managed by former Chelmsford City, Redbridge, Dulwich Hamlet and Billericay Town boss Craig Edwards, reached the Second Round last season before losing to one of Edwards` former clubs, Dulwich, and the furthest they have been being the Third Round in 2004/05.

There are also several clubs looking to avoid being knocked out by lower league opponents.

Premier Division Central side Tamworth make the long trip to Lancashire to take on Northern Premier League Division One West outfit Colne.

Colne`s ground has seen Trophy success in the past when the now-defunct Colne Dynamoes made it all the way to the semi-final in what turned out to be their only season in the competition in 1989/90, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Barrow.

However, for this version of Colne, formed six years after Dynamoes folded, it is the furthest they have been.

A warning to the Lambs, though, as Colne put high-flying NPL Premier Division Buxton out in the last round.

Tamworth were quarter-finalists way back in the second season of the competition in 1970/71 when they were still members of the West Midlands (Regional) League.

And then, of course, they went all the way to the final which was played at Aston Villa in 2002/03 whilst Wembley was being re-built.

They were surprisingly beaten 2-1 that day by a Burscough side with former Villa star Shaun Teale leading them as player-manager.

It would be a major scalp for Colne should they produce an upset and knock out the Lambs.

Isthmian League North Division side Felixstowe & Walton United have the unenviable task of taking on Premier Division Central leaders Peterborough Sports at Dellwood Avenue.

The Seasiders reached the Second Round last season, knocking out the likes of Metropolitan Police and Leatherhead on the way before going down 3-0 at Basford United.

Jimmy Dean`s side went right through to the Fifth Round last term and could well have gone even further had they not been forced to play the tie against Oxford City after many weeks of inactivity due to the pandemic.

And Felixstowe cannot rely on Sports fielding a `weakened` team either as I know to my own club`s cost as Dean`s team hammered my Desborough Town side 8-0 in the county cup on Tuesday night with a full-strength team!

Going on recent form, Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side
Carlton Town will fancy their chances of causing an upset when they host Premier Division Central club Stourbridge at the Bill Stokeld Stadium.

The Nottingham outfit are unbeaten in seven games and sit fourth in the table, having reached this far by knocking out the Glassboys` league rivals Stratford Town and then both league rivals Bedworth United and NPL Division One West side Kidsgrove Athletic on penalties – all at home.

This is the furthest Carlton have reached in the Trophy since being promoted from the Toolstation Northern Counties East League in 2007.

Stourbridge were quarter-finalists back in 1970/71 – the second season of the competition – when they lost to Yeovil Town on the old sloping Huish pitch.

And the Glassboys reached round two in 2017/18 before bowing out to Billericay Town but their overall record isn`t great. However, their recently appointed joint management duo of Stuart Pierpoint and Leon Broadhurst may think their priorities are ensuring Premier Division Central survival.

Premier Division South club Walton Casuals will be pleased to have home advantage against Isthmian League South Central side Uxbridge, as the Reds currently occupy second spot and are unbeaten in eight games.

To reach this stage, Uxbridge have seen off two Isthmian North outfits in Aveley and Basildon United and possess one of the hottest strikers in the league in 16-goal Tony Mendy.

Casuals reached this stage of the competition last season but pulled out due to the pandemic, allowing Corinthian-Casuals through, and have only got as far as the Third Qualifying Round on one other occasion, which was in 2018/19.

Uxbridge, who were actually a founder member of the Southern League`s Division Two in 1884, exited the competition at this stage last season, beaten 3-1 by Cray Wanderers, and have gone beyond round one in 2008/09 and 2010/11 when they were beaten 4-0 at Kenilworth Road by Luton Town.

Casuals` league rivals Tiverton Town travel up the M5 and M4 to take on the team sitting above Uxbridge in the Isthmian South Central table, Bracknell Town.

Like the Reds, the Robins have lost just once in the league this season and are unbeaten in six games.

Division One Central Hertford Town and then Tivvy`s league rivals Chesham United have fallen victim to Bracknell in the Trophy this season – the Generals losing on penalties.

Bracknell`s previous 14 seasons in the competition has seen them reach this stage only twice before – in 2002/03 and last season, when they beat another of Tiverton`s league rivals, Salisbury, before bowing out by the odd goal in five to National League South side Havant & Waterlooville.

Tiverton, of course, are better known for their exploits in the FA Vase, being winners twice and runners-up once at Wembley.

And their recent Trophy record hasn`t been anything to write home about, although back in 2000/01 they did make it a far as the Fifth Round before losing 2-1 at Ladysmead to Worksop Town.

Eight Southern League teams face opposition from rival Trident league Premier Divisions.

In-form Nuneaton Borough make the trip north to take on Northern Premier League Premier Division Radcliffe at Stainton Park.

The sides have never met in cup competition before and given Nuneaton`s past record as one of the top non-League teams in the country, their record in the Trophy is pretty poor.

They did reach the quarter-finals back in 1976/77, losing to Scarborough over two legs, 1979/80, beaten at Dagenham 3-2, and in 1986/87 when Dartford won 3-1 at Watling Street.

Last season saw Jimmy Ginnelly`s side bow out 5-1 at Latimer Park to former fierce rivals Kettering Town in the Second Round, which is the furthest they have been since 2001.

Radcliffe (including its former name Radcliffe Borough) have an even worse record in the Trophy, although they did spend many years in the lower division after winning promotion from the North West Counties League in 1986/87.

They did manage to get as far as the Third Round in 1995/96 before losing 2-1 at home to Gateshead having gone all the way to the Sussex coast to beat Bognor Regis Town in the previous round.

They got to the Third Round again in 1998/99 before bowing out to Northwich Victoria and the following season lost in the Second Round to neighbours Accrington Stanley but haven`t gone past the qualifying stages since.

Nuneaton`s league rivals Rushall Olympic and Bromsgrove Sporting bit have home advantage against sides from the NPL Premier Division.

The Pics have a tough test as they welcome league leaders Matlock Town to Dales Lane.

The Gladiators beat Olympic`s league rivals AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2-1 at home in the last round and are former winners of the Trophy.

That came way back in 1974/75 – just the sixth season of the competition – when, led by the three Fenoughty brothers, Matlock hammered Scarborough 4-0 at Wembley.

The Fourth Round in 2000/01 is the furthest Matlock have gone since then though.

The sides have met once before in cup action, back in 1989/90 in the FA Cup which the Gladiators won 1-0 against a then-West Midlands (Regional) League Pics.

As for Liam McDonald`s side, this is the third time they have made it to the First Round – the first being in 2012/13 when they were beaten 5-0 at the Racecourse Ground by Wrexham and then last season, when they suffered a similar defeat at Basford United.

They will hoping for a different outcome this time!

A decent crowd will be at the Victoria Ground as Bromsgrove entertain Morpeth Town.

The North East outfit make the long journey south having made it three wins on the spin last weekend, having endured a difficult campaign up to then.

The Highwaymen have only been a Step 3 side since 2019/20 when they were promoted as NPL Division One East in their first season following promotion from the Northern League.

They are another club more renowned for their Vase runs, winning it in style at Wembley against Hereford FC in 2015/16, having come close two seasons earlier.

They got as far as the Third Round in the Trophy last season before losing 3-0 at home to National League side Notts County.

Sporting reached the semi-finals of the Vase in 2016/17 before losing 2-1 on aggregate to Cleethorpes Town but in their three previous Trophy campaigns, they have bowed out after one game on each occasion, so have already surpassed their previous record.

Four other Premier Division clubs meet Isthmian Premier opponents.

Premier Division Central side Needham Market welcome Margate to Bloomfields.

Margate, who have not met the Marketmen before, got as far as the quarter-finals in the Trophy in 2001/02 when they lost 2-1 to Morecambe at Hartsdown Park and the Fifth Round on two other occasions – the following campaign when they were beaten by Needham Market`s league rivals Tamworth and the next season when they lost 3-0 at Telford United.

To make the trip to Suffolk, Margate beat Premier Division South side Beaconsfield Town 2-0, while the Marketmen, sitting second-from-bottom in the table, beat league rivals St Ives Town 2-0.

Needham Market have only been beyond this stage once before, last season when they were beaten 4-2 at Gloucester City in the Second Round.

League rivals entertain Enfield Town at Langford Road.

The visitors are currently second in the Isthmian Premier and are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, a run which included a 2-1 defeat of Premier Division South side Metropolitan Police in the previous round of the Trophy.

This version of Enfield have now equalled their best run in the competition, after reaching this stage in the last two seasons before bowing out to Ebbsfleet United and Maldon & Tiptree respectively.

The sides have not met before in cup action and the best the Waders have achieved in the competition to date is the Second Round in 2018/19 when they were edged out 1-0 by AFC Fylde at Mill Farm.

They lost on penalties to Bedford Town at this stage last season.

Another Southern Premier versus Isthmian Premier takes place not too far away from Langford Road at Garden Walk where Royston Town have Kingstonian as visitors.

And at this stage of the competition, Steve Castle`s side couldn`t have been paired with a club with a better Trophy record than the K`s.

Okay, in recent seasons they have only got past the qualifying stages a couple of times, most notably in 2019/20 when they lost a Second Round replay at Leamington.

But for several years, they were one of the teams to avoid in the draw.

Quarter-finalists in 1989/90, losing to Barrow, they went one better in 1998/99 when they beat the emerging Forest Green Rovers 1-0 at Wembley and then won it again the following season – the last at the `old` Wembley – when they overcame Kettering Town 3-2 in a thriller.

Royston have had two decent runs in the last two seasons, losing 2-1 to Concord Rangers in the quarter-final in 2019/20 and then to Brackley Town in the Second Round last term.

Promotion chasing Premier Division South side Hayes & Yeading United will be hoping to get over their FA Cup disappointment when they have Isthmian Premier leaders Worthing travel up to the SKYex Community Stadium in one of the ties of the round.

The Rebels have lost only twice this season to date in the league and are on an eleven-game unbeaten run.

Paul Hughes` United have yet to taste defeat in the league but were beaten 1-0 by League Two Sutton United in the FA Cup last weekend.

Worthing`s Trophy record isn`t great in recent years but they did get as far as the Fourth Round before losing in a replay against Hednesford Town in 2003/04 and they will be hoping for a repeat of the scoreline when these two sides met in the FA Cup in 2016/17 when the Rebels won 2-0.

Hayes & Yeading have only gone past this stage of the competition once before, back in 2008/09 – just two years after the merger of Hayes FC and Yeading FC – when they were beaten 2-0 at AFC Telford United.

Sunday sees Premier Division South club Truro City have Isthmian Premier side Bognor Regis Town travelling down to their temporary Bolitho Park home.

The Rocks were semi-finalists in 2015/16 when they lost 3-1 on aggregate to Grimsby Town and were beaten 2-1 at lower league Maldon & Tiptree in the Second Round last season.

Truro, another side with Vase success, got as far as the Third Round last season before scratching due to their lack of action due to Covid and have past this stage on two other occasions.

Division One South club Larkhall Athletic make the trip up the M4 to take on Isthmian South Central side Marlow.

The hosts sit in sixth spot in the table but were beaten at Chertsey Town last time out, while the Larks are ninth and will also be looking to bounce back from defeat after going down to a 1-0 defeat at lowly Bideford AFC last weekend.

Marlow reached the Third Round of the Trophy in 2002/03 and went a stage further the season after before losing 4-0 at home to Tamworth.

The only other time the teams have met saw Marlow win 3-0 at home in the First Qualifying Round in 2015/16.

The Larks have already surpassed their previous best run in the Trophy, having only gone as far as the Third Qualifying Round once before.

There are also four all-Southern League ties.

The top clash sees high-riding Premier Division South club Farnborough host unbeaten Premier Division Central side Banbury United.

As Farnborough Town, the quarter-finals were reached in 1992/93 and again in 2002/03 but the best they have managed in recent years has been the Third Round in 2014/15 when they were beaten 2-0 by North Ferriby United, who went on to win the Trophy at Wembley that year.

The Puritans haven`t a great Trophy record. In fact, one has to go back to 2004 when they last played a game beyond the qualifying stages.

They did reach the Third Round twice in the competitions` early days.

There`s another Premier South versus Premier Central clash, this time with Leiston holding home advantage over south side Harrow Borough.

Harrow, who are not far from Wembley as the crow flies, have been a long way off visiting it in the Trophy in recent years!

This is the first time they have passed the qualifying stages since 2004/05 and the best they have achieved was back in 1982/83 when they lost in the semi-final to Telford United 5-3 on aggregate.

Leiston have only had ten previous seasons in the Trophy after promotion from the Thurlow Nunn League in 2010/11 and reached the First Round on three previous occasions, including last term when they were beaten 2-1 at neighbours and league rivals Needham Market.

An all-Premier Division South clash takes place at the Optima Stadium where Weston-super-Mare welcome Wimborne Town.

League form would suggest a home win, with the Seagulls sitting 12th and the Magpies bottom and bowing out of the League Cup on Wednesday after a 6-1 home drubbing by Division One South side Paulton Rovers.

But anything can happen in the Trophy.

Weston reached the Fourth Round in 1998/99 and 2003/04 and have been regular competitors at this stage, while Wimborne have only reached the First Round once before, in 2014/15, but did, of course win at Wembley in the 1991/92 FA Vase Final against Guiseley and came close on a couple of other occasions.

The other tie sees Division One South rivals AFC Totton and Frome Town do battle at The Snows Stadium.

This should be a tight affair with the teams currently in top and second spot, with Frome holding a five-point advantage over the Stags.

AFC Totton were the 2006/07 Vase winners at Wembley over Truro City but have only reached this stage of the Trophy on one other previous occasion.

Frome reached the Third Round last season – beating AFC Totton on penalties on the way - before having to scratch due to the pandemic and made it to the Second Round back in 1984/85.