FA CUP: First round recap and second round preview

Round two, and the draw for it, in particular, is a strange time for non-league clubs.
Delighted, surprised and thrilled to be in the hat though they most definitely will be, there is always the doubt of what they want to happen next. With a possible life-changing (for players and club alike) 3^rd round tie looming just over the horizon, would they prefer a more winnable but less lucrative home tie in the hope they will strike it lucky, or the opportunity to go up against one of the big boys in the second round?
It is an intriguing dilemma but one of course that they do not get the chance to decide for themselves, which is perhaps no bad thing. So which teams made it through to the draw, and how did they fare?
A Buy, a Shock and a Gift
There were three main stories from a non-league perspective in the first round.
The first revolved around a game that didn’t take place. With Bury falling out of the league, it left one club in the fortunate position of a buy into round two, along with the £36,000 cheque that went with it.
BetVictor Isthmian League South East side, Chichester City were the lucky side drawn-out last, prompting celebrations as well as a very generous pledge from Chairman Andy Bell to help rebuild The Shakers.
That was not the end of the story for the West Sussex side though, as they hosted the second round draw shown live on BBC and one that saw them travel to either Tranmere or Wycombe Wanderers, both of League 1.
The performance of the first round was undoubtedly that by another eight-tier side, Maldon & Tiptree who won away at League 2’s Leyton Orient. In classic cup tie fare, Wayne Brown’s side scored either side of the break, the first from Danny Parish, who would later be sent off for a second yellow and a wonderful solo effort by Jorome Slew.
Orient pulled a goal back and pushed for the equaliser, and the Jammers had Ben McNamara to thank for keeping them in the tie, with a series of crucial saves. That win has given them a home tie against the winners of Grimsby and Newport. With Oddschecker offering odds for either of those two to go all the way of up 2000/1, it is not beyond reasonable doubt that that Essex outfit could make their first appearance in round three.
It may be doing Kingstonian a disservice to call their game a gift and as the footballing adage goes, you can only beat the people on the pitch you are up against. The club could certainly do with something going their way after losing their ground in a manner that still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Their opponents in the first round proper were yet another North West based team with facing significant financial problems, Macclesfield. The League 2 side were forced to field a youth development team after their players went on strike, refusing to play while they were being neither insured or paid.
Kingstonian did what they needed to do, won 4-0 and progressed to the second round, where they will host fellow non-league outfit AFC Fylde, who are there courtesy of their 1-0 away defeat of Nantwich Town. That means that we are guaranteed at least one representative from the non-league in the hat for round three.
The rest that made it through
The 4 – 1 scoreline flatters Boston slightly in their away win at Carshalton Athletic, with two goals coming in stoppage time. Craig Elliott’s side face a long away trip to either Wrexham or Rochdale in the second round.
A National League South versus a National League fixture saw the underdogs, Maidstone United triumph over Torquay via a 19^th minute Dan Wishart goal. Their prize is a trip to the seafront after being drawn away at League 1’s and former EPL side Blackpool.
National League’s Solihull Moors kept up their impressive FA cup form of recent years, by easing past National League South’s Oxford City 5-1 away from home. James Ball hit the net four times in 19 second-half minutes to put the tie beyond doubt. That was the third time they progressed to the second round in the last four years and are rewarded with a home fixture against Rotherham.
Stourbridge and Eastleigh shared four goals and will go again to see who has the privilege of playing Crewe.
An 84th-minute strike from debutant, Ruel Sotiriou saw Dover through to the second round against Sol Campbell’s struggling Southend. Dover, with the experienced Andy Hessenthaler at the helm, fully deserved the win and could have made it the scoreline more emphatic had they taken their chances. They face an away fixture at either Stevenage or Peterborough in the next round.
A late Chris Bush equalizer saw Bromley at last into the draw as they came from behind against Bristol Rovers to share the spoils, despite being forced to play the last 20 minutes with 10 men when Adrian Clifton limped off with all three subs having been used.
If they triumph in the replay they have a home fixture against Plymouth Argyle.
A clash between two National League North sides saw Altringham beat York City; Tom Peers’ 82nd-minute goal putting an end to York’s 19 game unbeaten run.
Last but not least, Notts County and Ebbsfleet, both of the National League, played out a 5 goal thriller at Stonebridge Road.
Josh Payne opened the scoring with a thunderbolt from all of 40 yards out before Kyle Wootton put the Magpies in the box seat with a brace either side of the half time break. Gozie Ugwu levelled it from the spot to set up a tense finish, before a brilliant header from Ben Turner broke Fleet hearts and booked County’s place in round two and a trip to Northampton Town.