Havant & Waterlooville 1 Frome Town 0

25sep10
FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Westleigh Park, Havant
att. 448

Some Cup moments are glorious, enrapturing, lip-smacking, belly-fizzing things. We know, cos we’ve had one or two. Others are like today – where the atmosphere is so flat as to hint at a frank exchange of views with a cartoon steamroller; so low-key you could use it to pad-lock a cat flap.

Still, this is often the way at the 2nd Qualifying Round stage. It is an obstacle we are expected to surmount, given that in the 2nd and 3rd Qualifying rounds we can only play teams from our level or below. It is understandable then that Cup fever, at this stage, has still to get a proper fire going.

Yet, whilst we provided banana-skins for York City, Notts County, Swansea City and, for a few short minutes, Liverpool, those magical afternoons (and evening) we are, at these stages, equally vulnerable to the lack of purchase offered by the discarded sleeves of yellow fruit. Indeed, over the years Cirencester, Chippenham, Langney Sports, Bath and Salisbury have all given us a bloody nose from the kind of uppercut that only those coming at you from a lower level can provide.

As such, Frome of the Southern League’s South & West division (two leagues below ours) could come to us in good heart, having already dispatched Willand Rovers and Ilfracombe Town to reach this stage. Indeed, a fan of the Scarf & Vest side reported on our forum in the week that we could expect 150 eager Cup enthusiasts to descend upon us from them there western hills. Instead, we played host to a smattering of pretty quiet fellas and a Cornish-separatist flag adorned with Frome Town’s web address. This might be regarded as a peculiar combination as an ensign in any case, but especially so when you factor in Frome being a market town in Somerset.

So, with not much to gee us up on-field or off in the first half, minds behind the goal wandered somewhat, moving eventually to a discussion of the merits of a variety of vegetables and pulses. Broad beans! The ayes have it. My apparently casting vote tipped a tight division in your favour. Parsnips! The jury remains out. Butter beans! Your boys took one hell of a beating.

Thankfully, the second half was a lot more lively, and so red cabbage and celeriac will have to remain on the slate for discussion another day. Good things to happen: Sammy Igoe’s commanding and evergreen performance down the right flank; the return of Ryan Woodford as a second half substitute after a horrendous amount of time out with injury; and, of course, Manny Williams’ winner.

In the 63rd minute, Muzzy Tiryaki bustled to the by-line before fiercely bouncing the ball across the touchline so that all Manny needed to do was breath on it for the ball to hit the net. Instead of giving it a good old blow though, Manny decided to use his forehead.

After that, the game should probably have been wrapped up with further goal action but, in truth, whilst Frome stood proudly firm, their threat was negligible, and our required result has been achieved, albeit without much in the way of style.

Road to Wembley
F: Manchester City 1 Stoke City 0 (att. 88,643)
SF: Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 (att. 86,549)
6R: Manchester United 2 Arsenal 0 (att. 74,693)
5Rr: Arsenal 5 Leyton Orient 0 (att. 59,361)
5R: Leyton Orient 1 Arsenal 1 (att. 9,136)
4R: Swansea City 1 Leyton Orient 2 (att. 6,281)
3R: Norwich City 0 Leyton Orient 1 (att. 18,087)
2Rr: Leyton Orient 8 Droylsden 2 [aet] (att. 1,345)
2R: Droylsden 1 Leyton Orient 1 (att. 1,762)
1R: Havant & Waterlooville 0 Droylsden 2
4QR: Havant & Waterlooville 2 Histon 0
3QR: Havant & Waterlooville 4 Dorchester Town 1 (att. 708)
2QR: Havant & Waterlooville 1 Frome Town 0
1QR: Frome Town 1 Willand Rovers 0 (att. 176)
PR: Frome Town 1 Ilfracombe Town 0 (att. 179)

Hampton & Richmond Borough 0 Havant & Waterlooville 1

11sep10
Conference South
The Beveree, Hampton
att. 512

So, yeah, six games without a win, I miss the next one and them Hawks slam in four following an early Thurrock goal that initially suggested the day was going to be a long one. Adam, my London Branch colleague, suggested in his update texts that the first half was poor, but in the second we came alive and could have had ten. Our chum Mr Ketchup told me today that it was one of those games where “you’ve got to fight for the right to play football”. Today’s game against Hampton & Richmond was a bit like that, but possibly more about digging in and hanging on to the earnings.

There has been a more than decent amount of calm and a lack of panic on our terraces despite the disappointing start. Without getting carried away, it feels as now the confidence could well snowball, just as it did at the end of the last season.


Sammy Igoe’s performances at this level continue to improve, Jake Newton has come on in leaps and bounds at right back while Manny Williams’ return to the starting XI following injury has certainly helped kick things on. The recommenced partnership between Manny and Mustafa Tiryaki is already bearing fruit and, indeed, worked like a charm here at the Beveree.

After a bits and pieces first half, it was on the stroke of half-time that a long pass sailed over to Muzzy moving out towards the right wing. Taking the cross on his chest like a performing seal balancing a shuttlecock on its nose, despite initially being as stable of poise as a bear dancing on a piano stool, Muzzy quickly made the match ball his prison bitch.

He bypassed his marker and speared in an unambiguous cross that Manny was able to meet with a forehead as stiff as a country gent’s upper lip. In the blink of an eye, the ball had gone from Muzzy’s boot to Manny’s mush and all through Hampton keeper Matt Lovett’s despairing dive. Gorgeous stuff.

The second half, as one might expect, saw the home side try to pile on the pressure, but this was resolutely withheld in a solid defensive performance and if you’re going to do anything in this league, grinding out 1-0 wins away from home will almost certainly play a significant role.