Quartet fall at the final hurdle

So one Kent football club find themselves in the FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Round draw, and that’s League One outfit Gillingham, who start with a trip to Barnet in two weeks time, writes Stephen McCartney.

Kent fans had high hopes that at least one of the quartet would make it through today’s fourth qualifying rounds. Sadly, all were dumped out, and missed out on lucrative home ties.

For the fourth time in four years, Ebbsfleet United exited the FA Cup at the first opportunity, as they let slip an early lead against Exeter City at Stonebridge Road.

However, it looked as if things might be going the Fleet’s way when Luke Moore notched the Fleet’s first goal in the competition for three season’s, latching onto Stacy Long’s exquisite eleventh minute through ball and calmly rounding Paul Jones to score from an angle.

But eight minutes after Moore’s goal, Exeter clawed their way back into the game.

Exeter were already finding width down the channels, where Wayne Carlisle was giving Sacha Opinel a few headaches, but it was the opposite wing where they made the breakthrough.

Matthew Gill eluding Mark Ricketts and finding time to send in a cross that caused all sorts of confusion in the Fleet box and, as Lance Cronin failed to grasp the loose ball, John Mackie pounced to thrash the ball into the back of the net.

It almost got worse for the Fleet on 31 minutes when referee Mike Bull intervened in an innocent looking tussle between Peter Hawkins, Warren Goodhind and Steve Basham on the edge of the box and blew for a penalty, much to the amazement of at least the home support in the ground.

Fortunately, Mackie’s resulting penalty was weak and low to Cronin’s left and the England C international goalkeeper gathered well.

Exeter, meanwhile, wrapped up the tie with two set-piece goals that found the Fleet defence wanting.

On 48 minutes, referee Mr Bull awarded a free-kick down the Exeter right and Moxey launched a long free-kick that eluded everybody and sat up conveniently for Matt Taylor to glance past a stranded Cronin.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Exeter repeated the trick four minutes later. Another Moxey free-kick - and another one greeted by the Fleet fans with grows of disbelief as Hawkins’ challenge appeared to be 50-50 - was sent in from the right and a Fleet defender this time managed to get a head to it - Hawkins’ powerful effort flew in the wrong direction and straight past Cronin.

The Fleet offered little in reply and the second half petered out with little resemblance of the FA Cup tie it was supposed to be, Exeter controlling the game without getting out of second gear, but in truth the Fleet barely gave them a reason to do so.

Blue Square Premier Exeter welcome either Salisbury City (Blue Square South) or Stevenage Borough (Blue Square Premier) to St James’ Park in the next round.

Tonbridge Angels’ striker Jon Main netted his seventeenth goal of the season, but the Ryman Premier League side still went down 3-1 at Ryman One North outfit Ware.

Main, clinched and scored from a penalty to give the Angels a 25^th minute lead, before Danny Spendlove equalised eleven minutes later.

Ware sealed a home tie against Blue Square Premier outfit Kidderminster Harriers, courtesy of second half goals from Chris Ellerbeck.

But the Hertfordshire side are a quality side, having defeated Dartford, one of the best sides in Kent, 4-0 in a league fixture earlier in the season, and won six and drawn seven at fortress Wodson Park prior to this game.

Joe Flack, took his tally to seventeen goals this season, as his brace sealed Billericay Town’s passage into the first round, with a comfortable 2-0 win over rivals’ Folkestone Invicta.

In truth, Neil Cugley’s Folkestone Invicta failed to turn up, and only created decent three opportunities against their Ryman Premier League rivals.

Striker Leigh Bremner drove agonisingly past the foot of the near post minutes before Flack’s 44^th minute opener.

Charlie Mitten pulled off a stunning save to deny his former Margate team-mate Paul Abbott scoring from a thirty-yard screamer, but Flack was on hand to score from the follow up from six-yards.

And Flack found the top far-corner of the net with a deflected effort in the 52^nd minute.

Folkestone defender Liam Friend had two efforts blocked late on, one by a defender, and another by Billericay goalkeeper Billy McMahon, who later tipped Kevin Watson’s 30-yard free-kick over the crossbar.

Billericay, who grabbed the opening paragraph on the BBC Sport website about the draw, welcome Swansea City, from Coca Cola League One, to the New Lodge.

The Essex side are 107 places below the Swans in the football pyramid.

And ten-man Bromley slipped out following their 2-1 defeat at their Blue Square South rivals, Eastbourne Borough.

Bromley’s Garath McCleary had cancelled out Andy Atkins’ first half header, before Paul Armstrong netted an 87^th minute winning penalty as Bromley, who lost at Gillingham in the first round last season, fall at the last hurdle.

Eastbourne Borough welcome Weymouth (Blue Square Premier) or Hitchin Town (British Gas Business Premier).

So here it is, the full first round proper draw for the FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON), with League One club Gillingham flying the Kent flag.

Darlington v Northampton Town
Hampton & Richmond v Dagenham & Redbridge
Torquay v Yeovil
Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers
Bury v Workington
Barnet v Gillingham
Accrington Stanley v Huddersfield Town
Farsley Celtic/Barrow v Bournemouth
Eastleigh/Forest Green v Rotherham United
Southend United v Rochdale
Team Bath v Chase Town
Bradford City v Chester City
Morecambe v Port Vale
Hereford United v Leeds United
Mansfield Town v Grays Athletic/Lewes
Gainsborough Trinity v Hartlepool United
Exeter City v Salisbury City/Stevenage Borough
Oldham Athletic v Doncaster Rovers
Peterborough v Wrexham
Evesham/Halifax Town v Burton Albion
York City v Havant and Waterlooville
Harrogate Railway v Droylsden
Rushden & Diamonds v Macclesfield Town
Ware v Kidderminster Harriers
Walsall v Shrewsbury Town
Horsham v Maidenhead United
Altrincham v Millwall
Cheltenham Town v Brighton
Stockport County v Staines Town
Crewe Alexandra v MK Dons
Lincoln City v Nottingham Forest
Stafford v Cambridge United v Crawley Town/Aldershot Town
Notts County v Histon
Oxford United v Northwich Victoria
Billericay Town v Swansea City
Carlisle United v Grimsby Town
Eastbourne Borough v Weymouth/Hitchin Town
Chesterfield v Tranmere Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers v Swindon Town
Luton Town v Brentford

Matches will be played on the 9/10/11 November

Extracts of the Ebbsfleet match report is courtesy of www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk