The Last 16 of the FA Trophy took place on the first of February, and as ever there was lots of entertainment.
National League side Aldershot hosted National League South side Boreham Wood. The Shots were given a third home tie in a row, after defeating National League side Wealdstone 3-1 and Southern Premier South side Chertsey 8-0. Boreham Wood have played an extra game than Aldershot, scraping past step four Felixstowe & Walton, beating fellow NLS side Eastbourne Borough 1-0 and Weymouth 1-2.
The Shots took the lead after 62 minutes through Jack Barham, before Kai Corbett made it 2-0 and sent Aldershot through to the Quarter Finals. A win at Sittingbourne in the quarter-finals will see them in the semi-finals for the third time in their history.
It was an all National League clash as Altrincham scraped past Eastleigh 1-0 thanks to an 89th minute Regan Linney goal. The Robins defeated ten-man, step three Macclesfield on penalties, before a dominant 3-1 win over National League title favourites Barnet.
Eastleigh have beaten two step three teams, Hanwell (1-2) and Basford (1-4), before losing to National League promotion hopefuls Altrincham. The Robins will be looking to replicate their 1978 and 1986 campaigns where they won this competition. They must first get through a tricky away tie at Rochdale.
Northern Premier Division side Gainsborough bowed out of the FA Trophy at the hands of National League side Woking, thanks to goals from Aiden O'Brien, Harry Beautyman and Lewis Walker.
Trinity defeated Southern Premier League Central favourites Kettering 0-2, before beating step four Clitheroe 1-4. They then shocked National League North side Chester, beating them 1-0 before stunning National League side York next. This set up a mouthwatering tie and the chance for another scalp, but the Cardinals proved too strong.
Woking were rewarded with a quarter-final clash with National League North side Oxford City - their fourth lower-tier side in a row after beating Havant & Waterlooville (penalties), Radcliffe (4-0) and Gainsborough. The Cardinals are at the joint top for FA Trophy successes (three), with all three wins coming in the 90s.
National League Sutton United scraped past National League North side Kidderminster thanks to an 81st minute Will Davies strike.
Kidderminster previously beat Step Four Halesowen (2-1), National League AFC Fylde (penalties) and National League South Slough (4-0). Sutton won at home to National League sides Ebbsfleet (penalties) and Tamworth (1-0) and now host National League North side Spennymoor Town in the next round. They hope to go one better than their 1981 campaign that defeated them in the final.
A 16th minute Josh Parker goal saw National League North side Oxford City defeat National League title hopefuls Forest Green.
Oxford City had been quite fortunate with their run before this, beating Step Four sides Sporting Khalsa (5-0) and Hadley (2-1), before beating Step Three basement boys Biggleswade Town. Forest Green beat divisional rivals Braintree on penalties and then National League North side Chorley 2-0. The 1/4 finals is the furthest The Hoops have ever got in this competition and host Woking, hoping to progress to the Semi-Finals for the first time in history.
Undoubtedly the story of the last 16 was Sittingbourne beating Southend 0-1 thanks to an Anthony Church 97th minute goal. Southend United had previously defeated NLN Southport (1-0) and Step Four Brentwood (3-5) but were stunned by Step Four Sittingbourne who continued their hot streak.
It was the Brickies’ eighth game in this season’s competition, including qualifying rounds, and their sixth victory over higher-division opposition. They will play Aldershot Town on Saturday, March 1, with the tie worth £7,500 to the winners, while the losers receive £2,000.
The only last 16 game that went to penalties came from Spennymoor, who beat Boston United after a 2-2 draw.
The hosts beat NLN sides South Shields (2-1) and Alfreton (0-1) before beating NLS Hampton & Richmond (0-2). Boston had triumphed against Alvechurch 1-0 (step 3) and Gateshead (1-3) but were no match for a confident Spennymoor side who now face a tough trip down south to Sutton hoping to get to the semi-finals for the first time in history.
National League South promotion hopefuls Worthing were up against it early after going 0-2 down to their National League opponents Rochdale. A Joe Partington goal from the halfway line made it a nervy last 15 minutes, but Dale held firm.
Worthing beat fellow Sussex side Chichester 2-3 in their first game, before losing 1-2 to Gosport. However, the visitors fielded an ineligible player so the Rebels were given a reprieve and beat Torquay 5-1.
Rochdale beat Leamington 2-0 and then needed penalties to scrape past Southern League Central side Stockton. This is only the club's second season in Non-League and this is the furthest they've ever got in the FA Trophy. Rochdale host Altrincham in the next round.
Listed below are the Bookies' odds to lift the FA Trophy
Rochdale- 3.50
Sutton United - 4.33
Altrincham - 5.00
Aldershot - 7.00
Woking - 9.00
Spennymoor Town - 15.00
Oxford City - 15.00
Sittingbourne - 41.00
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