FA Trophy First Round sees eight upsets and many a big scoreline

It was FA Trophy First Round action at the weekend and it sees eight upsets and many a big scoreline, so it’s time to review them all.

The 2021–22 competition is the 53rd season of the FA Trophy, an annual football competition for teams at levels 5-8 of the English National League System.

The competition consists of three qualifying rounds, and seven proper rounds. Teams from level 8 enter into the first qualifying round and second qualifying round, level 7 into the third qualifying round, level 6 (the National League North and National League South) into round 2, and level 5 (the National League) into round 3.

All matches will be in a single-match knockout format, with the winner decided by penalties if the match was drawn after 90 minutes, apart from the Final where the winner will be decided by extra-time and penalties if the match is drawn.This is the same format as the 2020–21 season which was a change from previous seasons where replays were used and where the semi-finals were scheduled as two-legged.

There were 39 ties played out with clubs remaining going from 144 down to 105, there was no new entries for this stage, with the losing side getting £775 and winning teams receiving £3,000.

FC United of Manchester, who currently sit 11th in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, were knocked out, falling to an entertaining 3-2 defeat at ambitious Marske United.

The North East outfit, who are flying high in 3rd place of the NPL East Division, found themselves two up by the sixth month thanks to goals from Craig Gott (4) and Adam Boyes (6).

They then got a third via James Fairley, but had a late scare when FCUM fought back, getting a goal through Regan Linney immediately after Marske made it 3-0, and then Paul Charlie Ennis made it 3-2 by the 77th minute, making for a tense finish, however Marske help on for the win.

Marske United are used to punching above their weight – and manager Carl Jarrett wants to be playing FA Trophy rivals FC United of Manchester more regularly next season.

Following Saturday’s result, Jarrett’s side have knocked out three higher-ranked teams out of the FA Cup and Trophy combined this season.

NPL Premier highflyers South Shields and National League North outfit Chester were dismissed in consecutive rounds of the FA Cup.  Their run only came to an end at the hands of Gateshead, who needed a replay to progress.

The 50-year-old reckons his side are more than capable of holding their own at Step 3 should they be promoted this season.

“We want to try and get into their league next year. We’ve had good runs against clubs above us – we seem to step our level up in those game. Everyone knows we’re very good at home.

“I won’t take the game lightly because I know they’re a good team. They might have lost four in six, but the manager will want to put things right against us. We beat them in the last minute at their place the last time we played them. I’ve got to set my team up as normal and see what we can do.  These are the sort of teams you want to play against,” he said. 

Jarrett – who is also a builder – has been in charge at the club for seven years.

He has led his side to Northern League titles in that time, and led his side to four consecutive top five finishes in his opening seasons.

After two partial seasons competing in the NPL D1 West were scrubbed from the records because of the pandemic, Marske are thriving in the newly re-imagined East division.

Long-serving players such as captain Adam Wheatley and Glen Butterworth help form the backbone of the side.  Ex-Barrow and Guiseley striker Adam Boyes has been in prolific form this season, with his 12 goals the most scored in the division.  Just too good for this level.

Boyes’ performance have helped his side average almost three goals a game, with a 6-1 win over Sheffield.  That’s without the 7-0 demolition of Bridlington Town in this competition’s last round.

“I still have six to seven lads that were here in 2014. They understand how I am as a person and as a manager.  They’ve been loyal and stuck by me, and I’ve just had to bring in two or three each year.

“For me it’s important not to upset the balance by bringing in lots of players. If we do get promoted and make the step up, I know I will have to look at the squad again.  They have to be the right players who will fit into the group. We are a settled squad and that helps us.

“At the present minute we’re scoring a lot of goals. We scored after three minutes against Bridlington and it set the tone for the rest of the match.

“In football, wins don’t come every week so you enjoy them when they happen,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Salisbury were also dumped out of the competition, losing 4-0 at Plymouth Parkway.

Parkway, who are 11th in the Southern League Division One South, put their name in the hat after a superb display against their higher opposition with goals coming from Rio Garside (38, 61), Billy Palfrey  (55) and Mike Landricombe (88).

Palfrey got plenty of applause after he managed to score from 60 yards out, with his performance earning him the man of the match award. A video of that stunner can be seen below…

Billy, from the half way line 👏 😍#ppfc @billypalfrey4 pic.twitter.com/mWtChGhUOu

— Plymouth Parkway FC (@PlymouthPFC) November 14, 2021

FA TROPHY FIRST ROUND UPSETS:

Marske United (8) 3–2 F.C. United of Manchester (7)
Bootle (8) 3–3 (5–3 p) Stalybridge Celtic (7)
Liversedge (8) 3–2 Basford United (7)
Walton Casuals (7) 2–6 Uxbridge (8)
Welwyn Garden City (8) 2–1 Carshalton Athletic (7)
Felixstowe & Walton United (8) 2–1 Peterborough Sports (7)
Hanwell Town (8) 1–0 Wingate & Finchley (7)
Plymouth Parkway (8) 4–0 Salisbury (7)

FA TROPHY FIRST ROUND RESULTS:

(-) = tier of English football

1 Radcliffe (7) 2–0 Nuneaton Borough (7)
2 Marske United (8) 3–2 F.C. United of Manchester (7)
3 Rushall Olympic (7) 0–4 Matlock Town (7)
4 Ashton United (7) 5–1 Sutton Coldfield Town (8)
5 Nantwich Town (7) 2–1 Grantham Town (7)
6 Warrington Town (7) 2–0 Chasetown (8)
7 Colne (8) 1–1 (3–4 p) Tamworth (7)
8 Bromsgrove Sporting (7) 0–0 (3–4 p) Morpeth Town (7)
9 Whitby Town (7) 5–0 Mossley (8)
10 Marine (8) 2–2 (5–4 p) Dunston UTS (8)
11 Carlton Town (8) 1–2 Stourbridge (7)
12 Bootle (8) 3–3 (5–3 p) Stalybridge Celtic (7)
13 Gainsborough Trinity (7) 1–2 Lancaster City (7)
14 Liversedge (8) 3–2 Basford United (7)
15 Walton Casuals (7) 2–6 Uxbridge (8)
16 Canvey Island (8) 6–0 Yaxley (8)
17 Brentwood Town (8) 4–1 Staines Town (8)
18 Needham Market (7) 3–2 Margate (7)
19 Hayes & Yeading United (7) 0–3 Worthing (7)
20 Bishop’s Stortford (7) 2–1 Chipstead (8)
21 Royston Town (7) 1–1 (3–4 p) Kingstonian (7)
22 Welwyn Garden City (8) 2–1 Carshalton Athletic (7)
23 Cheshunt (7) 1–0 Berkhamsted (8)
24 Bedford Town (8) 0–1 Potters Bar Town (7)
25 Leiston (7) 3–0 Harrow Borough (7)
26 Biggleswade Town (7) 1–2 Enfield Town (7)
27 Felixstowe & Walton United (8) 2–1 Peterborough Sports (7)
28 Hanwell Town (8) 1–0 Wingate & Finchley (7)
29 Cray Wanderers (7) 2–1 Bedfont Sports (8)
30 Folkestone Invicta (7) 2–1 Faversham Town (8)
31 Farnborough (7) 0–1 Banbury United (7)
32 Marlow (8) 2–2 (5–6 p) Larkhall Athletic (8)
33 Weston-super-Mare (7) 1–2 Wimborne Town (7)
34 Hartley Wintney (7) 3–0 Willand Rovers (8)
35 Binfield (8) 3–0 Cinderford Town (8)
36 Bracknell Town (8) 1–3 Tiverton Town (7)
37 AFC Totton (8) 2–2 (4–2 p) Frome Town (8)
39 Plymouth Parkway (8) 4–0 Salisbury (7)

Sunday 14 November 2021
38 Truro City (7) – Bognor Regis Town (7)

Here’s all the best photos and videos from the weekend’s FA Trophy First Round action which sees eight upsets and many a big scoreline as displayed above…

At Marine, where the floodlights have gone out. One of Dunston’s midfielders is a spark and he’s trying to sort it out. Now on the phone to a mate back in the north east. pic.twitter.com/pBneS6DmCA

— Simon Hughes (@Simon_Hughes__) November 13, 2021

An 11 year old’s view of Marine v Dunston in the FA Trophy pic.twitter.com/0zKarTYhKZ

— Dan Wyrill (@littledanw) November 13, 2021

FA TROPHY THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND RESULTS

1 Bridlington Town (8) 0-7 Marske United (8)
2 Marine (8) 0-0 (5-3p) South Shields (7)
3 Hebburn Town (8) 0-2 Warrington Town (7)
4 Morpeth Town (7) 4-2 Pickering Town (8)
5 Bootle (8) 1-1 (4-3p) Widnes (8)
6 Stalybridge Celtic (7) 4-1 Yorkshire Amateur (8)
7 Shildon (8) 0-1 Whitby Town (7)
8 Dunston UTS (8) 2-2 (3-2p) Bamber Bridge (7)
9 Runcorn Linnets (8) 0-2 F.C. United of Manchester (7)
10 Buxton (7) 1-2 Colne (8)
11 Ashton United (7) 1-0 Atherton Collieries (7)
12 Witton Albion (7) 1-2 Lancaster City (7)
13 Hyde United (7) 1-2 Mossley (8)
14 Radcliffe (7) 3-1 Frickley Athletic (8)
15 Liversedge (8) 4-0 Scarborough Athletic (7)
16 Spalding United (8) 1-1 (2-4p) Tamworth (7)
17 Wisbech Town (8) 0-2 Biggleswade Town (7)
18 Lowestoft Town (7) 2-3 Yaxley (8)
19 Sutton Coldfield Town (8) 0-0 (5-4p) Newcastle Town (8)
20 Hitchin Town (7) 1-3 Leiston (7)
21 Redditch United (7) 0-1 Stourbridge (7)
22 Gainsborough Trinity (7) 3-0 Coalville Town (7)
23 Mickleover (7) 0-1 Grantham Town (7)
24 Chasetown (8) 2-1 Alvechurch (7)
25 Hednesford Town (7) 2-3 Peterborough Sports (7)
26 Royston Town (7) 2-1 Stratford Town (7)
27 Carlton Town (8) 2-2 (4-3p) Kidsgrove Athletic (8)
28 Sporting Khalsa (8) 1-4 Rushall Olympic (7)
29 Corby Town (8) 0-1 Banbury United (7)
30 Nantwich Town (7) 2-1 Barwell (7)
31 Soham Town Rangers (8) 0-3 Nuneaton Borough (7)
32 Matlock Town (7) 2-1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds (7)
33 St. Ives Town (7) 0-2 Needham Market (7)
34 Bedford Town (8) 3-1 Stafford Rangers (7)
35 Bromsgrove Sporting (7) 2-0 Ilkeston Town (8)
36 Basford United (7) 2-1 Leek Town (8)
37 Bishop’s Stortford (7) 2-0 Lewes (7)
38 Faversham Town (8) 2-1 Leatherhead (7)
39 Margate (7) 2-0 Beaconsfield Town (7)
40 Herne Bay (8) 0-2 Binfield (8)
42 East Thurrock United (7) 0-6 Kingstonian (7)
43 Hastings United (8) 1-3 Felixstowe & Walton United (8)
44 Enfield Town (7) 2-1 Metropolitan Police (7)
45 Witham Town (8) 1-3 Hanwell Town (8)
46 Farnborough (7) 4-1 Bowers & Pitsea (7)
47 Horsham (7) 2-3 Carshalton Athletic (7)
48 Chipstead (8) 2-1 Whitehawk (8)
49 Corinthian Casuals (7) 0-1 Cheshunt (7)
50 Merstham (7) 1-3 Welwyn Garden City (8)
51 Heybridge Swifts (8) 2-2 (1-4p) Hayes & Yeading United (7)
52 Marlow (8) 4-3 Westfield (8)
53 Potters Bar Town (7) 2-0 Haringey Borough (7)
54 Chertsey Town (8) 0-2 Worthing (7)
55 South Park (8) 0-1 Harrow Borough (7)
56 Folkestone Invicta (7) 2-1 Hendon (7)
57 Walton Casuals (7) 2-1 Great Wakering Rovers (8)
58 Wingate & Finchley (7) 1-1 (5-4p) Hornchurch (7)
59 Staines Town (8) P-P Brightlingsea Regent (7)
60 Bedfont Sports (8) 2-1 Harlow Town (8)
61 Brentwood Town (8) 3-0 AFC Sudbury (8)
62 Northwood (8) 2-2 (5-6p) Berkhamsted (8)
63 Bognor Regis Town (7) 5-0 Waltham Abbey (8)
64 Chesham United (7) 1-1 (1-2p) Bracknell Town (8)
65 Uxbridge (8) 2-1 Basildon United (8)
66 Canvey Island (8) 3-0 Burgess Hill Town (8)
67 Weston-super-Mare (7) 3-2 Taunton Town (7)
68 Thame United (8) 2-4 Wimborne Town (7)
69 AFC Totton (8) 2-0 Dorchester Town (7)
70 Paulton Rovers (8) 1-5 Larkhall Athletic (8)
71 Gosport Borough (7) 1-2 Salisbury (7)
73 Yate Town (7) 0-2 Willand Rovers (8)
74 Tiverton Town (7) P-P Swindon Supermarine (7)
75 Frome Town (8) 3-2 Poole Town (7)
76 Plymouth Parkway (8) 1-0 Merthyr Town (7)
77 Cinderford Town (8) 2-2 (5-4p) Thatcham Town (8)
78 Hartley Wintney (7) 2-1 Melksham Town (8)
41 Cray Wanderers (7) 4-1 Kings Langley (7)
72 Truro City (7) P-P Cirencester Town (8)
59 Staines Town (8) 1–0 Brightlingsea Regent (7)
72 Truro City (7) 1–0 Cirencester Town (8)
74 Tiverton Town (7) 1–1 (5–4 p) Swindon Supermarine (7)