Harlow Town  0-4  Brentwood Town

Dagenham & Redbridge 0-1  Northampton Town

Gillingham  1-0  Southend United

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FULL TIME:  My, that’s how to finish a side off.  Clinical finishing and a tremendous away win.  Those golden arches are a step nearer.  Macdonalds for me, that is, but still, Brentwood Town can dream of Wembley.

Next up is ‘Wood’s FA Cup tie with Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday.  It’ll be a cracker.  Until then, enjoy the week, and your football.

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89th min – GOAL! ….. Harlow Town 0,  BRENTWOOD TOWN 4 Rampant.  Another through ball and this time it’s SHERWIN STANLEY who shoots home coolly from the edge of the area.

Blimey!

83rd min – Jordan Gill tries to exact some revenge with an equally ill timed tackle on Abs Thompson and the man in red also gets a yellow for his troubles.

81st min – Darren Blewitt is a lucky guy.  A crude challenge results in handbags and a booking, with somewhat fruity language from the locals.  He’s sensibly substituted for Martyn Stokes before it gets worse.  The free kick comes to nothing.

78th min – Sub Thompson has real pace, but he plays the ball far too far forwards.  He then runs straight into the nearest Harlow defender and crashes to the ground.  The ref, incredibly, gives the free kick, but nothing comes of it.

75th min – Lee Blackburn comes on for Steve Butterworth.

72nd min – GOAL! ….. Harlow Town 0,  BRENTWOOD TOWN 3 Game over.  Abs Thompson makes an immediate impact, his run and shot forcing a corner.  It’s taken short, Steve Butterworth crosses on the right, and DANNY DAFTER’s first header is blocked by the keeper, but he could do nothing about the rebound.

Wem-ber-lee, Wem-ber-lee …

70th min – Brentwood Town’s first substitution is Abs Thompson on for Peggy Larando.

68th min – Abs Seymour is spoken to by the ref for a bit of an over eager challenge on the far touchline.  No yellow card, though, and the free kick is easily defended.

64th min – I knew I was asking for trouble there.  The ever impressive Jeff Hammond turns and shoots low inside the area for Harlow, and Elliott Justham is forced into another good save by the right hand post.  Me and my big gob.

61st min – More good work again from the Brentwood midfield presents Larando with another chance, but he mishits.  ‘Wood have this game under control at the moment though.

58th min – Almost all over.  Another nice little lob over the defence, and Peggy Larando is free inside the Harlow penalty area.  His shot is on target but Bossu makes an acrobatic save to keep him out.

51st min – GOAL! ….. Harlow Town 0,  BRENTWOOD TOWN 2 After a sleepy start to the second half, I was editing my first half pictures.  I look up, in response to the crowd shouting, and just see ALEX READ from the edge of the area hit the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Striker!

8.48pm – Kick Off! Yep, again.  That’s three now.

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HALF TIME: And an excellent 45 minutes for Brentwood Town.  They weathered the early storm, took their chance when it came, and largely nullified the early Harlow threat.

The home side may feel aggrieved to be behind, but the simple fact is that they didn’t take their early chances, and Brentwood nailed theirs as soon as they had one.

Right, I’m off for a Bovril and a radiator.  Laters.

41st min – Just like the old days.  Stanley Muguo is booked for the hosts after a clumsy challenge.  Chortle.  The free kick comes to nothing, Harlow break, and Hammond again threatens inside the area before Abs Seymour comes to the rescue and shepherds the ball out.

37th min – Neat Brentwood play down the middle sets up Alex Read, whose shot from 20 yards is parried clear.  Eventually there’s a corner, and Bossu saves superbly from Read.  The flag had already gone up for offside but he wasn’t to know.

32nd min – The natives are getting restless, apart from one kid of about 8 who keeps screeching ‘Arrrrloooooooow.  I never knew Justin Bieber supported them but there you are.  Sherwin Stanley is starting to cause problems on the right and the Brentwood defence have started to get to grips with Hammond and Jacobs.  Which sounds more like disposing of corrupt solicitors.

27th min -Steve Butterworth collects a ball just inside the area and his shot on the left is deflected for a corner, missing by inches.  The corner is easily defended though.

22nd min – GOAL! ….. Harlow Town 0, BRENTWOOD TOWN 1 Yes!  A break down the right isn’t dealt with, there’s a low centre that goes across the six yard box, and DANNY DAFTER taps in.

Liquid football!

20th min – Another surging run from Jeff Hammond, this time on the left, and he runs with menace into the Brentwood Town penalty area.  His shot is blocked and pass across goal is deflected away.  He appeals vociferously for a penalty but nobody else is convinced.

18th min – Nice bit of thinking from Sherwin Stanley.  A simple lob over the Harlow back line sets Alex Read free.  Hawks stopper Bertrand Bossu (which sounds suspiciously like an X Factor contestant) just gets to the ball first.  Better from Wood.

15th min – Elsewhere, bad news for Southend United.  Their new keeper Paul Smith has been stretchered off and fitted with a spinal board and neck brace.  Daniel Bentley has come on but, again, fingers crossed for the injured player.

13th min – This time Jacobs has a crack from long distance, and his shot ends up about a foot over the bar from 25 yards out.  Harlow have taken a hold though.

11th min – Wow, that should have been one up to the hosts.  Great build-up between Tony Jacobs and Jeff Hammond again results in the latter shooting from inside the box.  Justham again saves superbly, but the ball breaks to Tony Jacobs, unmarked.  He shoots home, it seems, but Sam West gets back brilliantly to clear off the line.  Great stuff.

8th min – Brentwood respond well.  Alex Read chases a lost cause on the left and gets to the ball on the bye-line.  He centres inside the area, Steve Butterworth is primed to shoot, but he dummies it – to nobody.  Pah.  Nice stuff though.

5th min – Ooh, that was close.  Jeff Hammond beats his man inside the area, passes it to Tony Jacobs, who looks a certain scorer from eight yards out for the hosts.  But Elliott Justham brilliantly parries the goalbound short and the rebound is scrambled away.  Phew.

7.47pm – Kick Off! Oh yes!

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7.44pm – The teams come out to polite, lukewarm applause on a coldish night, Harlow in red, Brentwood in light blue with white shorts.  Your commentator is …. sorry, went into Brian Moore mode.  I do miss The Big Match.

7.40pm – Looking through the Hawks line-up, there’s one or two familiar faces.  Stanley Muguo was a mainstay in the East Thurrock United title winning team of a couple of season ago, and Piers Wixon was involved in the Rocks unforgettable FA Cup and League Cup runs last term.  For Harlow Town read Hawks On The Rocks.

7.35pm – I must admit I’m feeling slightly under-dressed this evening.  It’s all ties and suits, with me in denims and a London Broncos tracksuit top.  Still, style never goes out of fashion.

There’s a healthy cash prize at stake tonight, as well as the glory of one more step on the road to Wembley.  It may not seem much but the odd few hundred quid here and there can make and break clubs at this level.  And pay the bar bill.

7.25pm -Team News:  Brentwood Town go for glory with:  1 – Elliott Justham.  2 – Ryan Doyle.  3 – Abs Seymour.  4 – Sam West.  5 – Darren Blewitt (c).  6 – Danny Dafter.  7 – Steve Butterworth.  8 – Peggy Larando.  9 – Alex Read.  10 – Sherwin Stanley.  11 – Greg Cousins.

SUBS:  12 – Abs Thompson.  14 – Lee Blackburn.  15 – Martyn Stokes.  16 – Robbie Rees.  17 – Neil Cousins.

Have to say I like the look of that line-up.  Experience, creativity.  And that’s just me.  Ray disagrees, saying the team has it but not me, and as he’s Brentwood Town’s secretary, I can’t really argue.  He’s a fine chap and obviously has sound judgment.

7.15pm – A very good evening from Barrows Farm Stadium for tonight’s shenanigans.  After a hard fought goalless draw, and very entertaining by all accounts, Brentwood Town have to do it the hard if they are to overcome Harlow Town this evening.

Both clubs have had somewhat inconsistent starts to the season, as reflected in their fairly underwhelming league positions at the moment, but both clubs are expected to be there or thereabouts in the title and play-off shake ups.  The good news for ‘Wood, too, is that the Hawks have lost both their home league games this season.

Elsewhere, in League Two, resurgent Southend United have a tasty looking game at leaders Gillingham, whilst Dagenham & Redbridge will look to pull away from the drop zone when Northampton Town visit.

As ever, keep refreshing the page every few minutes, and the helter skelter thrill-a-second ride that is the FA Trophy shall be yours, all yours.  Good innit.

GAME ON!