FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay

Slimbridge 3 Egham Town 2 (after extra time)

SPORT is often bizarre but sometimes it is equally ludicrous. Some teams south of the M4 were handed relatively easy ties to travel to in the FA Cup preliminary round.
But the Football Association, in their wisdom, sliced the FA Cup preliminary round draw in such a way that sides from our neck of the woods were handed ties many miles away.
So, after a 2-2 draw in London on Saturday, Slimbridge replayed for a place in the next round on Tuesday night, meaning Egham had to get to Wilsoe Road and did not get home until the early hours of Wednesday.
What to do about it is an issue for another day. Slimbridge had a job to do but if they thought their opponents would be lethargic in the tie, they were soon woken up themselves as Egham took an early lead.
The Swans had a glorious  chance to open their account when a shot from Sean Lawson lead to a goalmouth scramble that Slimbridge lost.
Egham, though, scored soon afterwards when a ball was hoisted to the six yard box for winger Danny Bassett to put past Swans keeper Adam Thomas.
If it may have deflated other sides  Slimbridge tried to hit back with a few long shots and a cross from the left byline from Lawson that rattled the crossbar.
The effort paid off when Lawson cut a ball from the byline on 27 minutes for Sam Blackie to slam it into the Egham net with a rifle of a shot.
Slimbridge put Egham under more pressure and had chances to score again but they nearly fell for a sucker punch seconds before half time when Egham ‘ s Jon Hippolyte got past Sam Turl on the left but sent his shot from an acute angle just wide of the far post.
It left the tie still all square at the interval and very nip - and -tuck after it.
Thomas saved the Swans as another goalmouth scramble saw Bassett nearly poke the ball home.
Lawson again caused panic stations in the Egham penalty area before Adam Mace’s shot was parried for a corner and Alex Hoyle shot wide seconds later.
But Slimbridge went behind again when Bassett netted with a 20 yarder on the hour.
The Swans needed to score again quickly. Mace banged in not her thumping shot that Egham keeper Brendon Mathew got on the second attempt.
But with ten minutes left, Slimbridge drew level as a great volley from the edge of the Egham area from Blackie flew into the net.
Then Slimbridge were handed a massive advantage when Hippolyte was sent off for a wreckless challenge on Turl.
But it was all square after 90 minutes and extra time. Slimbridge had a couple of half - chances but they came to nothing.
But finally another Mace thump went flying into the Egham net after an outstanding build-up.
And that was enough to keep the Cup run going although that now involves another massive trip east to Dartford and a tie with Greenwich Borough.