Nine clubs left in the FA Cup

Nine CCL clubs will be competing in the Preliminary Round of the Emirates FA Cup this weekend, with one guaranteed to progress to the 1st Qualifying Round, with Raynes Park Vale entertaining Spelthorne Sports in the only all-CCL tie.

One match has been brought forward to Friday evening, when Tooting & Mitcham United will be at home to Horley Town. The reason for playing on Friday is that Tooting have Dulwich Hamlet ground sharing with them and with the latter at home in the League this weekend, Tooting’s fixture has been brought forward.

All the other ties are on the Saturday, and the League congratulates the two Division One sides still in the competition. Both are drawn away to Step 5 opposition, namely Epsom & Ewell not too far away at Beckenham Town, and Frimley Green who trek down to Lymington Town, who knocked Sandhurst out in the previous round after a replay.

In the past we have scheduled a full league programme on the date of the Preliminary Round but this year we followed the methodology of the Step 3 and invited any clubs free to bring forward fixtures where there was mutual agreement. In the event only four did so, meaning there are just two Premier Division matches on Saturday, with Banstead entertaining Badshot Lea, who finally got off the mark in the week with a 2-2 draw at Hanworth Villa. That match almost didn’t go ahead due to a gipsy invasion of the car park at Hanworth Villa but fortunately the site was cleared in time.

There were some interesting results in Division One in the week. None of them went well with the relegated clubs with both Epsom & Ewell and Farnham Town surrendering their 100% records against Chessington & Hook and Sandhurst Town respectively, whilst Godalming Town succumbed 2-5 at home to Dorking Wanderers Reserves, which is actually an Under-23 side. Bedfont & Feltham remain unbeaten but fought out a 0-0 draw at home to Frimley.

On Wednesday evening the one match between FC Deportivo and British Airways yielded a point apiece but no goals.

There is a fairly full programme also on Bank Holiday Monday with all matches kicking off at 11.30 a.m. as is tradition in the CCL.