Sevenoaks Town 4-2 Horley Town. Sevenoaks dream of Fleet Youth Cup tie - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Played in heavy rain for the first 70 minutes, with thunder and lightening strikes, a brace from striker Aaron Rothwell, a penalty from influential skipper Scott Maguire, and a fine finish from Terry Whelan sent the Kent side through.

They should be welcoming Crawley Town to Greatness Park in the first qualifying round but the Sussex club have withdrawn, so Sevenoaks will welcome Gravesend & Northfleet, Chatham Town or Erith & Belvedere next month.

The Fleet welcome Chatham Town, a club that blood home grown youngsters into their first team squad, to Stonebridge Road on Thursday night.

There was, however, drama before kick-off as full-backs Lewis Busby, Matt Duncker and midfielder McGuire arrived at the ground with just ten minutes before kick-off due to traffic delays en-route.

But Sevenoaks created two early chances through a long range drive from Phil Edmunds and a glancing header from impressive striker Matt Parsons.

Horley Town, whose youth side play in the southern section of the Southern Youth League, created a good chance after nine minutes.

Ben Herdman picked up the ball out on the left flank, cut in, and from a central position unleashed a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which dropped agonisingly over the bar.

Sevenoaks sometimes resorted to long ball football, coming from goalkeeper Shane Blackman’s right-foot, and on one occasion Parson’s right-footed shot, from the right touchline, flashed past the far post.

The home side had the ball in Ryan Marmaaia’s net but Rothwell’s goal was ruled out for offside.

Blackman’s clearance was flicked on by Parsons to Rothwell, who was offside, and after lifting the ball over the visiting goalkeeper, slotted home.

But it didn’t take long for Rothwell to open his account for the season, breaking the deadlock after 18 minutes.

Rob Littlejohn’s low cross to the far post was met by Rothwell, ghosting in, and he coolly fired home.

Parsons impressed throughout and he unleashed a right-footed effort from 30-yards, but his shot was comfortable saved.

McGuire’s long ball up field was sliced by defender Dean Richmond, and gave Rothwell another good opportunity, but this time he lost his composure and blazed his shot wide.

But Sevenoaks doubled their lead after 34 minutes through Rothwell’s second, showing strength to take the ball off Richmond, he stabbed the ball forward before slotting home.

But two goals in the last four minutes of the first half brought Horley Town back into the game - against the run of play.

Liam Cox 20-yard shot looped over Blackman to find the top left hand corner after 41 minutes and Joe Abbott delivered a sucker punch on the stroke of half time.

One of Abbott’s team mates screamed at him to whip the ball in, but his right-footed cross-come-shot, from close to the corner flag on the right hand side, sailed over Blackman and found the top far post corner.

But Sevenoaks showed character to take the game by storm and ran out worthy winners.

McGuire looked up before striking the ball right-footed from 35-yards, but the ball sailed just over before he netted from the penalty spot just seven minutes into the second half.

Rothwell was upended on the left hand side of the penalty area by Richmond, who was booked, and MaGuire sent Marmaia the wrong way with a coolly taken spot kick.

Sevenoaks wrapped up the victory after 61 minutes. Blackman dropped Luke Raggetti’s corner, but collected it at the second attempt and punted the ball up field for target man Parsons.

Parsons’ cut in from the left towards the by-line and his shot from an acute angle was blocked by the goalkeeper at his near post but Whelan was on hand to strike the loose ball into the far corner from 16-yards.

The rain stopped falling for the final twenty minutes of this entertaining clash and the visitors created a couple of good chances but Graham Logsdon, Sevenoaks’ joint-under 18 manager and general manager, is expecting his side to face Gravesend & Northfleet in two rounds time.

“Considering we were short of what I would consider to be four of our most experienced last year squad, yes, it was a good result,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I had some youngsters out there probably two years below the prime period, but I thought they worked very hard and I thought the victory was deserved.”

Logsdon spent plenty of time on his mobile before the game, checking up on three of his players who arrived at the ground with just ten minutes before kick-off.

He explained: “It was a panic situation. A car load of guys got stuck in traffic but it’s not an ideal pre-match situation.

“Everybody starts running around like headless chickens, myself included, because you need a team talk.

“This was our first competitive game of the season and I wanted to have time to talk to them but it wasn’t too be. Mishaps occur and you have to deal with it.”

But Logsdon feels Gravesend & Northfleet will be too strong for Kent rivals Chatham Town (Stonebridge Road on Thursday night) and Erith & Belvedere.

“We’ll that’s going to be tough,” he said. “I mean Gravesend & Northfleet we know all about from last year. They’ve got their PASE set-up up there and we played them at the beginning of last year up at their ground and lost 2-1 and I thought we were unlucky to lose that.

“They came down here and gave us a walloping. I would have thought, on paper, they would be favourites but you never know, with a full-squad, I think the squad as a whole is stronger than last year, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

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