Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
The FA Cup action started on Friday evening as Bowers & Pitsea ended Barking’s interest with a 2-1 victory at Aveley’s Parkside Stadium. Meanwhile Coggeshall Town and Witham Town will have to go at it again in midweek as the original tie ended in a goalless stalemate.
Eleven Essex Senior League sides made it out of the Extra Preliminary Round, with two all-ESL ties meaning that at least two ESL sides will make it into the 1st Qualifying Round draw next week. Saffron Walden Town have an intriguing encounter with Hoddesdon Town as both have made an unbeaten start to their league campaign. The other all-ESL affair takes place on Sunday when Stansted, who last time out beat local rivals Sawbridgeworth Town, entertain Takeley in another mouth-watering local derby. Sporting Bengal United find themselves pitched against Brentwood Town. The hosts lost their only league fixture thus far in Bostik North, whereas Sporting Bengal have shown resilience this season, none more so than last weekend when they turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-4 draw despite having only ten men. Brentwood Town play in the higher tier and will have to be on top of their game to make sure they don’t suffer a slip up as this is a real banana skin of a tie.
Leyton Athletic have only won one competitive fixture so far this term, in the last round when they beat Barkingside in a replay. That set up an away tie with Great Wakering Rovers, who were crowned ESL Champions last season and who now mix it back in the Bostik North. It’s a tough assignment for the ESL side; meanwhile Stanway Rovers, currently bottom of the ESL, have an even tougher engagement at Haringey Borough. The hosts won the Bostik North playoffs last season and have made a decent start to their Bostik Premier campaign. West Essex also have a difficult looking trip to Heybridge Swifts, who currently lead the Bostik North table and will be looking to make progress having last season made it all the way to the 1st Round before succumbing to Exeter City. There are also two FA Cup games scheduled for Aveley’s Parkside Stadium. At midday tenants Grays Athletic face FC Romania, in a game in which the Essex-based club were actually drawn away but with FC Romania ground sharing at Cheshunt, who themselves have a home Cup game with Canvey Island, meant that the game had to be switched. Then at 3pm Aveley take on Potters Bar Town.
FA Cup Preliminary Round
Aveley v Potters Bar Town
Bowers & Pitsea 2 Barking 1 (Played Friday 24th August)
Brentwood Town v Sporting Bengal United
Cheshunt v Canvey Island
Coggeshall Town 0 Witham Town 0 (Played Friday 24th August)
FC Romania v Grays Athletic (@ Aveley FC 12pm KO)
Faversham Town v Hackney Wick
Felixstowe & Walton United v Walthamstow
Great Wakering Rovers v Leyton Athletic
Haringey Borough v Stanway Rovers
Haverhill Rovers v Maldon & Tiptree
Hertford Town v Tilbury
Heybridge Swifts v West Essex
Long Melford v St. Margaretsbury
Newmarket Town v Hullbridge Sports
Saffron Walden Town v Hoddesdon Town
Stansted v Takeley (Sunday 26th August @ Bishop’s Stortford FC 2pm KO)
