Forget the big guns. Saturday’s FA Trophy first round belonged to the little clubs, and two of them made history.
Step 4 Bridlington Town produced the shock of the round, knocking out Step 3 Curzon Ashton on the East Yorkshire coast. Captain Ahmed Salam put them ahead inside four minutes. Harvey Roberts’ long-range free-kick pulled Curzon level in first-half stoppage time.
Despite going down to ten men, Bridlington equalised again in the dying seconds to force penalties. They then held their nerve to win the shoot-out 4-3. It’s the first time in 22 years they’ve reached the second round.
Their run has been built the hard way. They needed penalties to get past Garforth Town in the first qualifying round, then beat Congleton Town 3-2 and Whitby Town 3-0 before Saturday’s heroics.
Bourne Town went one better. Dan Forbes’ early goal saw off Step 3 Banbury United 1-0 and put the Wakes into the second round for the first time in their history. They’ve already beaten Newcastle Town, Hanley Town and Alvechurch to get this far.
There was heartbreak at Deal Town, whose club-record Trophy run ended with a 3-1 home defeat to Hashtag United. Waltham Abbey won an all-Step 4 thriller 3-2 at Hastings United, adding to their 7-1 demolition of AFC Croydon Athletic in the previous round.
Further up the pyramid, Kettering Town hammered Quorn 6-2 and Enfield Town thumped Hanworth Villa 5-1. Halesowen Town won 4-0 at Evesham United, and Chertsey Town won 4-0 at Takeley on a treacherous pitch. Alfreton Town needed a Riley McLachlan winner to come from behind and beat Mickleover 2-1.
This is what the Trophy does best. For clubs at this level, £3,000 in prize money and a crack at a bigger club is genuinely transformative. It pays bills, funds facilities and brings people through the turnstiles who might never otherwise come.
The draw has been kind to the romantics, with National League North and South clubs now joining the competition. Bridlington host Macclesfield, who sit third in the North. Bourne welcome Bromsgrove Sporting, Waltham Abbey head to Billericay Town and Hashtag travel to Wingate & Finchley.
The 40 second-round ties will be played on Saturday 14 November. The winners take home £3,750 and the losers £1,000. Workington and Cleethorpes Town, postponed on Saturday, play tonight for the right to visit Ashton United.
National League clubs enter in the third round on 12 December, with Southend defending the trophy.
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