I took a Saturday off this weekend and watched the action unfold via Twitter for a change, safe in the knowledge Sunday was the new Saturday just for this weekend, well maybe one or two times this season but who knows!
The Emirates FA Cup began this weekend and we’ve merely touched August with the competition ended for some. By the time the end of the month rolls round clubs could also be out of both FA competitions they can enter in a season.
The earliest state date to the cup saw history made on Friday evening with the first goal of the night scored, Sunday afternoon saw the final few ties of the Extra Preliminary Round take place.
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I headed off locally to Littlehampton Town for their first competitive action of the new campaign, their league efforts not underway until this coming weekend.
A summer of much change with less than a handful of players now remaining from that treble winning season and Wembley Vase visit. That is the nature of football these days, players don’t stop long at most clubs but also a lot can’t commit to the extra travelling and time moving up a step or two entails.
Their opponents Tooting & Mitcham had also yet to start competitive games in the Combined Counties League despite most Step 5 sides having played at least one game before the cup ties.
A bright sunny afternoon greeted the crowd of 339 with a few having made the trip from the outskirts of South London in that number. There wasn’t a long wait for the first goal to arrive either, Alex Laing cutting inside from the left hand side and his shot headed past Tooting keeper Toby McKimm by his own defender and the perfect start for the hosts.
The Golds controlled the possession for the first twenty minutes, but then seemed to take their foot off the gas and the visitors were certainly strong on the counter attack, pace on the flanks and quick, nimble footed midfielders.
The hosts were saved by a super fingertip block from James Binfield to keep themselves in front, Town struggling to get the ball out to the wide men to put their visitors under pressure, but led at half time by virtue of that early goal.
The second half started off quite scrappy until Tooting found they had chances to create. Town weren’t without chances of their own, substitute Charlie Pitcher should have finished off the tie but blazed wide from a good position.
The best chance of the half fell to the visitors, Binfield well beaten but the ball striking the far post and cannoning back across goal but no finishing touch able to be applied.
Tooting finished the game with ten men after Pitcher was the victim of head to head contact, the heat taken out of the match and Town surviving to book their place in the next round at home to Faversham Town in two weeks’ time.
Speaking to Town joint boss Mitch Hand afterwards he wasn’t happy with the way the game panned out but pleased with the result and into the next round. I did remark to him being the first competitive one and two training sessions this week gives them time to work on ironing a few things out going forward.
As always plenty of people to see at these games, a nice chat with Saint Bob of BN17 on Twitter before the match in the bar and a catch up with Alex Laing afterwards, the first half spent with Wick FC’s Warren Pye, the second half an unexpected chance to chat football with Cray Valley PM boss Steve McKimm ahead of their season opener next weekend vs Dartford, a mate of mine for a few years.
I also managed to catch up with striker Joe Benn, a guy I’ve kept in touch with through his injury plagued years since Wembley, fingers crossed it appears he’s over the worst of everything and there might be some good news to come in the next few weeks, watch this space……..
