Bexhill United 1-1 Erith & Belvedere - It's disappointing because the prize is so big, it's an opportunity to get to Wembley so how can you not go out there and show energy and passion, says hurting Erith & Belvedere boss Gary Alexander

Bexhill United 1 – 1 Erith & Belvedere
Location	Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY
Kickoff	16/08/2026 15:00

BEXHILL UNITED 1-1 ERITH & BELVEDERE
(Bexhill United win 9-8 on penalties)
The FA Vase First Qualifying Round
Sunday 16 August 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Park View Road

ERITH & BELVEDERE manager Gary Alexander admits his side failed to show energy and passion after crashing out of The FA Vase at the very first stage of the competition for the first time in eight years.

With Bexhill United’s Polegrove Recreation Ground unavailable at this time of the season due to cricket, this tie was switched to Park View Road and was settled by 20 penalties in a shoot-out as Jay Skinner-Swain’s side grabbed a trip to Tooting Bec in the next round on Saturday 12 September.

Bexhill United striker Jack Shonk scored his second goal of the season with a fluke to give the Sussex side a fifth minute lead, as Erith & Belvedere put in a lacklustre performance in the first half.

It was night and day compared to their impressive 6-1 home win over Billingshurst in The FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round seven days ago, clearly missing central midfielder Jack Sammoutis, who pulled his calf in that game.

Impressive central midfielder Jack Low came off the bench at the interval and levelled with a composed finish, before Erith & Belvedere knocked on the door but couldn’t find the winner to set up a tie against tenth-tier opposition next month.

The first 10 penalties were all expertly tucked away before Stefan Wright had a glorious chance to win it for Erith & Belvedere but cracked the crossbar and 16-year-old left-back Joe Wilson was left in tears after missing with the only left-footed taken penalty.

“Look, we’re obviously disappointed. We’re out of the Vase, a competition we wanted to have a run with it and obviously it’s not our year, which is disappointing,” said Gary Alexander.

“I’m gutted and to go out on pens it becomes a lottery doesn’t it? We were by far the better team.”

A sixteen-year-old, who was making his first start for a ninth-tier football club shouldn’t have been put in the position in the first place and it was no surprise when Wilson left the pitch in tears and Alexander had to put his arm around him to console him as they walked down the tunnel together.

“We’ve just said to him, ‘how many 16-year-olds have played in The FA Vase? In a big game like that and then, so be it, it’s come down to penalties and it’s gone round and he’s got to take one, so he’s got to step up and on this occasion, he missed.

“I said ’10 years down the line, when you’ve got more experience under your belt and you’re taking penalties and you’re scoring and winning penalties in the competition, you can look back on that as a learning curve.’

“It’s all about learning, he’s 16 and as I said, how many 16-year-olds have played in The FA Vase this weekend? Not many at all.”

Alexander, meanwhile, revealed Wright was not his original sixth choice as someone decided to change the order at the very last moment.

“Look, Stef stepped up. I’ll be honest, I’m disappointed a little bit because we had an order and that order got changed and that’s no blame on Stef whatsoever because he stepped up and he took it.

“We had an order and we didn’t stick to that order and it happened to be that number what missed, so that’s the disappointing thing because we need responsibility and we’ve just spoke about that.

“You’ve got to be brave in a penalty shoot-out to take it and if someone’s for whatever reason didn’t fancy it last minute, Stef showed the courage to take it so again, no blame of Stef.”

Bexhill United started the game on the front foot but they grabbed the lead with a fluke of a cross with four minutes and 31 seconds on the clock.

Right-back Richie Welch threw the ball inside to right-winger Ashley Latuske, who hooked the ball into the right-channel and captain Shonk whipped in a cross, which sailed over the right shoulder of nineteen-year-old goalkeeper Danny Alexander into the top far corner of the goal.

“It just hurts because the first half, we was way off it in terms of attacks.  We probably dominated the game,” said Alexander.

“They’ve scored a flukey goal, which gives them something to defend. Look credit to them, they defended, didn’t they?

“Well, I think they came here to, they’ve got something they got a, probably a bonus, we’ll call it a bonus with the goal, going in front after five minutes and you saw then we had all of the ball after that.

“But first half possession, we had a lot of ball but we wasn’t good enough in terms of final third entries, in terms of getting across people in the box and creating opportunities. We weren’t good enough!

“What can you do? You can’t reflect on it; you’ve just got to bounce back. I think it’s probably their first attack. The guy’s gone to cross it and it’s looped over. That’s not the easiest of goalmouths, so there’s nothing that Danny can do. There’s no one to blame on it. It’s just given them something to hold onto and that’s what they’ve done.”

Watched by football royalty in Erith & Belvedere Kent League double winning manager (2012-13) Micky Collins, Erith & Belvedere’s slick passing football of last weekend wasn’t clicking with centre-halves Frederick Fletcher and Billy French having the most touches and the ball being given away in midfield, usually inside the Deres’ half of the pitch with Bexhill United’s players not having to do too much to win it back.

Too many pink-shirted players were not performing, including right-back Tyrone Gondoh, wingers Frederick Baker and Clarence Tambe, striker Alfie Bloomdfield and holding midfielders Wright and Alfie Morgan were also giving the ball away too often.

Morgan pounced on a loose ball (15:46) before cracking a right-footed angled drive from 30-yards, forcing Bexhill keeper Finlay Holter to use his outstretched right-hand to flick the ball over the crossbar for the first of 16 corners for Erith & Belvedere.

“Alf needs to do more than that, he’s got bags of ability and we want to see more of that,” said Alexander, who’s chairman Paul Springett revealed before the game that higher-League club’s are taking an interest in the number four.

“That’s what you expect from young Alfie. I’m sure there will be. I’m sure there will be interest in the team because they’re still young, so not just Alf.  Weve got 16-year-olds out there.  How many 16-year-olds play in the Vase?

“We’ve got a young team. I’m sure there will be people higher up the ladder who want to look at our players.”

Most of these corners were poorly executed, taken short like they’re taken in the playground instead of testing centre-halves Joshua Tuck and Callum Brand.

Wilson played the first one short to Baker, before Wilson cut in from the right and played the ball along the deck into Wright and Baker clipped the ball towards the back post where Billy French swept his shot across the face of goal instead of into the net from a tight angle.

Bexhill United almost grabbed their second goal from long range with 23 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.

Debutant Luke Donaldson played a 20-yard square pass inside along the deck to central midfielder Charlie Playford, who was left in oceans of space to unleash a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which crashed against the top of the left-hand post.

“Listen, you’re always at risk, we’re trying to force our way back into the game, trying to get an equaliser, so listen, they broke a few times in the first half and had a few shots and he’s hit the bar,” said Alexander.

“But if you go two down, you’ve just got to try to respond as quickly as possible. It didn’t happen, so we didn’t have to respond with two goals, we only had to respond with one!”

Holding midfielder Kyle Holden – who has spent 10 years at Bexhill United – opened the gate and allowed quiet left-winger Tambe a chance to pounce, cut into the penalty area and his left-footed shot was pushed away by Holter, diving to his left and sticking out  a strong left-hand to push away, before Baker lacked the desire and quality to bury the rebound, stabbing it straight at the keeper (27:40), who smothered the ball, diving low to his left.

Erith & Belvedere went direct (29:29), as Bloomfield evidenced here exactly why he will not be a 20-goal-a-season number nine at this level.

Centre-half Billy French launched a long right-footed ball forward from inside the centre-circle towards two of his team-mates lurking on the very edge of the Bexhill penalty area.

Morgan laid the ball off inside him and Bloomfield drilled a left-footed volley straight down Holter’s throat from 18-yards.

“Listen, it’s a decent little move, good play. On another day Alfie would put that in the bottom corner of top corner but on this occasion, listen, he’s hit the target. What more can we ask for?”

Bexhill produced a three-man move down the left which should have been finished off, with 33:43 on the clock.

A first-time pass from centre-half Callum Brand fed Donaldson, whose first time pass played in attacking midfielder Max Hollobone but he dragged his left-footed shot across the keeper and watched the ball trickle past the far post.

Alexander said: “Like I said, they’re going to have their little spells. They were quite a direct team.  Balls drop and how we play, we play pretty expansive and open and if we’re not fully loaded off, when we lose possession, teams will obviously have those chances but it’s whether they take them or not.

“We should be putting ourselves in better situations to not have to worry about that.”

Welch’s throw from the right saw Donaldson cut inside and as Fletcher allowed space to open up, the Bexhill number seven placed his left-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post from 20-yards.

Erith & Belvedere were often moving the ball around too slowly and not showing any desire to create clear-cut chances.

An example of this (44:25) saw numerous pink-shirted players waiting for a delivery from Morgan, instead he played a short free-kick inside to Wilson, whose cross was woeful and deep and bounced at the far post and was comfortably gathered by an untroubled Holter.

Gary Alexander had to act during the interval and he hooked the awful Gondoh at the interval and brought on Low in midfield and switched Wright into right-back.  The switch clearly worked as Erith & Belvedere looked a vastly improved side during the second half.

“I wouldn’t say it was too slow. I think it was difficult because the grass is long. When you walk on that pitch, the grass is long. Without making excuses because it’s the same for both teams,” said the manager, who needs to tell the groundsman to cut the pitch as long grass will not suit his side's passing game.

“Although they’re probably not a passing side, it became difficult. There’s ball speeds and getting the ball through, balls aren’t through to where they’re meant to be. Some of our passing was off and it just weren’t good enough all over the park in terms of our final ball. It just wasn’t good enough!

“I just said, they know they set standards. We’ve been good and the first half wasn’t good enough from back-to-front. Our passing wasn’t good enough. The energy wasn’t there and it’s disappointing because the prize is too big at the end of the, the prize is too big. It’s an opportunity to get to Wembley.

“How can you go out there and not show energy, passion?!?! You might not get that opportunity and this is a tournament what gives you an opportunity to get there, so that’s what we’ve spoken about and how much to you want it and credit to them.

“We made one change. Jack (Low) made a difference, came on done well and obviously we were making subs as the game went on and they’ve all come on and done alright.

“Could we have nicked a winner? We’ve had enough opportunities, entries into the box. The keeper’s made a save but listen it’s come down to a lottery, which is disappointing.”

Erith & Belvedere came out with all guns blazing and Morgan stabbed the ball out to Wright, who drove past Playford before dragging his right-footed shot across the keeper and tricking past the far post (3:54).

“We’re lucky. Stef can play in a number of positions and it was a change. We just needed to get a bit more creativity in the middle by bringing Jack on, so we moved Stef out to right-back and that was nothing against Gondoh because he wasn’t doing bad. It was just an option and listen, it worked at the end of the day because Jack scored but we need to be better in the final third.”

Bexhill right-back Welch drove down the line and reached the right channel and delivered a cross into the penalty area towards the unmarked Donaldson, who hooked the ball looping up into the air for Alexander to pluck the ball under his crossbar while standing on his goal-line for a comfortable catch.

Erith & Belvedere deserved their equaliser when it arrived with 15 minutes and 2 seconds on the clock, courtesy of Low showing his team-mates how it’s done.

Hollobone was inside the Bexhill defensive third and had his pocket picked by Low some 30-yards from goal before the former Rusthall attacking midfielder easily skipped past last defender Brand before holding his composure to sweep his right-footed shot across the keeper to bounce the ball into the bottom far corner in a one-v-one.

“Listen, Jack’s a quality player. He came in pre-season, played a game, showed us what he’s about. Look, unfortunate for him he went away at the start of the season, so he’s got to work his way back into the team and he’s been willing to do that.

“He just got to be patient and when he gets in there, I’m sure he’ll make it difficult for someone else to take his place.”

Bexhill United got a lucky break following Erith & Belvedere’s sixth corner, with 18:49 on the clock.

Wilson needs to learn how to deliver a proper corner first.  This is proper first-team football and not academy football for a start!

Wilson played it short to Wright, who played the ball back to the left-back, who then floated a cross towards the near post where Casey Dudley’s towering header bounced off the top of the crossbar, despite Holter’s efforts to use his outstretched gloves to push the ball over.

“Listen, you’ve just said (we had) 16 corners today and that’s the only time we got a contact on our first touch in the penalty area, so that’s something that needs working on,” admitted Alexander.

“That’s something we can put corners on but you’ve got to have the willingness to get across people and wanting to score that goal and can we be better than that? 100 per cent! Sixteen corners and we’re talking about one header. It’s not good enough!”

A counter-attacking Welch played the ball in from the right again and this time Hollobone swept his right-footed shot past the diving keeper and hit the base of the right-hand post from 20-yards (20:57), the ball rolling along the goal-line not crossing the line as it headed towards the opposite post.

“As I said, they’ve had one or two opportunities and the way they play, we were pushing for an equaliser and trying to get that equaliser and then we were trying to push to win the game. As I said, there’s going to be opportunities. They were probably tiring, so they had more men up the pitch than us and they were catching us on the break,” added Alexander.

Erith & Belvedere threw the kitchen sink at Bexhill United during a dominant and sometimes open final 20 minutes.

Low swung in the Deres’ tenth corner of the game and an unmarked Billy French came up from the back to bury a free-header past the far post.

Hollobone floated in a free-kick into the Erith & Belvedere penalty area from the left towards the back post where Tuck rose and his flicked header was caught by Alexander, as the end of the game opened up.

Bexhill keeper Holter pulled off a match-winning save with 48:56 on the clock, following Erith & Belvedere’s 14^th corner of the game.

Low hung up a quality corner from the right towards the back post where big targetman Connor French had his only moment of the game, powering his downward header towards the bottom near corner, only for Holter to get down low to his right and use a strong right hand to claw the ball behind.

“As I said, look 16 corners and me and you are sitting here talking about one or two contacts so it’s something that needs working on,” admitted Alexander.

“It’s a good header from Connor. He can’t do anything else. Credit to their keeper, that’s not an easy goalmouth, the way it sits and he’s made a great save.”

The penalty shoot-out was taken at the Park View Road end of the stadium.

Bexhill scorer Shonk sent Danny Alexander the wrong way with an emphatic right-footed penalty, which was drilled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Erith & Belvedere’s substitute striker Ellis Proctor drilled a composed right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, sending Holter the wrong way to level.

Playford sent the keeper the wrong way with a right-footed penalty, which nestled inside the bottom right-hand corner.

Low capped off an impressive personal performance by rolling his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Welch walked up slowly and got a lucky break when his right-footed penalty bounced off the turf and looped up into the top left-hand corner, despite Alexander diving to his right and getting his hand to the attempt.

A third substitute stepped up for Erith & Belvedere, left-sided central midfielder Wayne Anthony Lewis Obiang, who sent the keeper the wrong way, as the ball nestled inside the bottom left-hand corner.

Bexhill United held a 4-3 advantage when Hollobone rifled his right-footed penalty into the top right-hand corner, despite the manager’s son diving to his left and getting his glove to the ball.

Tambe woke up from his match slump and rifled his right-footed penalty just left of centre, as Holter guessed the wrong way once again.

Bexhill centre-half Brand stepped up and sent Alexander the wrong way with a right-footed penalty which nestled into the bottom right-hand corner, as Bexhill saved their best performances for the shoot-out.

Holter stepped towards his six-yard box in an attempt to distract Morgan, who held his nerve to make it a 100 per cent record after 10 penalties, sending the keeper the wrong way, as the right-footed shot riled into the roof of the net.

Now for those who didn’t want to take a penalty in the first place!

Bexhill’s 71^st minute substitute, Theo Coombs’ weak right-footed penalty was placed towards the bottom left-hand corner and Alexander dived to his right to make the save and team-mates Welch and Tuck moved off the half-way line to console their team-mate as he trudged back towards the halfway line.

Step forward Wright to win the tie for Erith & Belvedere.  However, he delivered a woeful attempt, cracking his right-footed penalty against the crossbar as he aimed for the top left-hand corner and wanted the ground to swallow him up as he trudged back towards the half-way line.

Tuck stepped up to make it 6-5 in Bexhill’s favour, an emphatic right-footed attempt into the roof of the net, as the keeper dived to his left.

Connor French levelled with a pressure penalty, finding the top left-hand corner, as Holter dived low to his left.

Left-wing-back Bexhill sub Dale Penn found the bottom right-hand corner, sending Alexander the wrong way to make it 7-6.

And it was seven-a-piece when centre-half Fletcher rifled his right-footed kick into the roof of the net, as Holter dived to his left.

Bexhill sub Charlie Scarles found the roof of the net and Erith & Belvedere captain centre-half Billy French rolled his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.

Holden, in his Bexhill United Testimonial year breathed a sigh of relief when his penalty crashed into the net despite Alexander diving to his left and getting his right-glove to the ball.

Up stepped the only left-footed penalty taker. Wilson was left in teers and Gary Alexander had to put his arm around him as he headed off the pitch as his poor penalty was smothered by Holter, who dived low to his right to make a comfortable save – but a player his age should never have been put in that position in the first place.

“We are all disappointed. Listen, it is what it is. We’ve gone out on a lottery but we’ll look back on that first half, which has probably cost us and we weren’t good enough on the day, so credit to Bexhill, they’ve come here, they’ve done a job and they’ve won on pens, so we’re all disappointed.

“We’ll ponder on it, we’ve got to go away and reset and be ready for Wednesday.”

Alexander takes his side to Bromley to tackle big-spending Petts Wood & Holmesdale.

Peter Nolan’s summer arrival at Oakley Road now sees the club hit the realms of paying Southern Counties East Football League ninth-tier players around £300 per week!  The average man-for-man over the 18 clubs is around £150 per week.

Jointly-managed by Nolan and Andy Constable, Petts Wood & Holmesdale lost 1-0 at Hassocks in The FA Vase yesterday and are in fourth-place after one outing, while Erith & Belvedere are in the bottom three at this very early stage.

“I’ve just said to the boys, focus goes now, go away, do what you’ve got to do. If you’ve got knocks, got injuries, speak to physio’s,” said Alexander.

“We’ve got two teams going head-to-head on Wednesday, who both want to look for wins. We’ve both gone out of the cup this weekend and we’ll be looking to bounce back as soon as possible so it will be an interesting game.”

Erith & Belvedere welcome Isthmian League South East Division big-hitters Sittingbourne in The FA Cup Preliminary Round next Saturday.

“Sittingbourne are going to be a tough game. They’ve obviously a League up. They’ve got some good players – but I have confidence in my team.

“If we perform we can match anyone, probably in this League and the League above, if we perform to our full ability but that’s if we perform, so we’ve got to go with the right energy, the right mindset and we’ll give anyone a game, so we’re not going to make it easy.  We’ll be doing our best. But listen, we’ll come here, Sittingbourne will be favourites as they’re the League above, so we’ll come here and give it our best shot and what will be, will be.”

Alexander revealed Baker was withdrawn with a pulled hamstring, left-back Ronnie McClean (holiday) and Frederick Cray (holiday) were away and centre-half Chigozirim Njoko failed a fitness test due to a knee injury.

FA Vase prize money is nothing to write home about, with Bexhill United picking up only £550 and Erith & Belvedere banking £160 – which doesn’t even cover the cost of Bexhill’s transport costs.

Alexander said: “The chairman works his socks off. He loves the competition. We’ve got a long season ahead, there’s plenty more games to go but listen it’s a competition we want to do well in all the time and every year you want to have a competition but we all know how the prize money is not great, so it’s not going to affect.

“It probably cost the two teams money today to put the game on because with coaches, it’s probably cost Bexhill. The crowd, there’s 105 people here. They’ve got to pay the referee (and his two assistant referees), so it’s probably costing the teams money, so it doesn’t effect the club in any way shape or form.

“It’s just a disappointment that we’ve gone out of the cup because it’s a game we’ve lost out on.”

Erith & Belvedere attracted a record crowd of 820 for their 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted side AFC Greenwich Borough on Friday 31 July, a crowd of 201 attended the Billingshurst game but only 105 bothered to watch this one.

Bexhill United, meanwhile, went into the game in fifth-place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division table, having beat Billingshurst (2-1) and Seaford Town (2-0) but their FA Cup campaign ended at the first attempt after losing 3-0 to East Grinstead Town.

Bexhill United: Finlay Holter, Richie Welch, Harry Marchant (Theo Coombs 71), Kyle Holden, Joshua Tuck, Callum Brand, Luke Donaldson (Charlie Scarles 77), Charlie Playford, Jack Shonk, Max Hollobone, Ashley Latuske (Dale Penn 71).
Subs: Ryan Riddles, Mardy Ovenden

Goal: Jack Shonk 5

Booked: Harry Marchant 56, Charlie Scarles 89

Erith & Belvedere: Danny Alexander, Tyrone Gondoh (Jack Low 46), Joe Wilson, Alfie Morgan, Billy French, Frederick Fletcher, Clarence Tambe, Stefan Wright, Alfie Bloomfield (Ellis Proctor 72), Casey Dudley (Wayne Anthony Lewis Obiang 77), Frederick Baker (Connor French 62).
Sub: Josh Harper

Goal: Jack Low 61

Booked: Casey Dudley 45, Jack Low 84

Attendance: 105
Referee: Mr Greig Walker
Assistants: Mr Alexander Seaman & Mr Levente Erdosi

Match Duration:
First Half: 47:00
Second Half: 49:46

Long throws into the opposing Penalty Area: Two
Erith & Belvedere: Stefan Wright 2