UK Edition
Sutton and Lincoln crash out of FA Cup as Oxford City and Boreham Wood provide first-round upsets
Last season, it took Arsenal to end Sutton United’s participation in the FA Cup, and a controversy sparked by a hastily eaten meat pie, after a glorious run that saw them reach the fifth round.
On Saturday they went out in tamer circumstances in the first, losing 1-0 at 10-man Cambridge United who reached the second round for the fifth consecutive season.
There was nothing to compare with the drama of 12 months ago when their great adventure included victories over Cheltenham, AFC Wimbledon and Leeds before the embarrassment of Piegate, which led to a two-month ban from football for reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw.
His former team-mates know they should probably have done better on Sunday after enjoying a numerical advantage for 50 minutes following the dismissal of George Maris for simulation. The visitors failed to make their advantage pay and conceded on the stroke of half-time when Jabo Ibehre turned home the rebound after Jevani Brown hit the bar.
Elsewhere, Paul Konchesky and Jermaine Pennant, who reached the finals in 2006 and 2010 with West Ham and Liverpool respectively, retain an interest in this year’s competition after Billericay Town drew 1-1 with Leatherhead, a draw that puts the Isthmian Premier League side in the second-round draw for the first time in their history. “It was a great game. I’m proud of my boys, they dug in and I’m pleased to be in the hat,” said Billericay owner-manager Glenn Tamplin.
Former winners Charlton Athletic (1947) and Coventry City (1987) are definitely though after seeing off Truro City 3-1 and Maidenhead United 2-0 respectively.
Truro were making their debut in the first round as the first Cornish side there since 1969 but conceded to Ben Reeves after 10 minutes and seldom looked likely to pull off the shock their 996 fans had travelled so far to see.
Jordan Ponticelli scored both Coventry goals in a straightforward win while elsewhere Swindon Town brushed off National League South side Dartford 5-1 with Timi Elsnik scoring twice.
Guiseley were more than happy with their afternoon’s work after holding League Two high-fliers Accrington Stanley to a goalless draw but the other non-league hopefuls Heybridge Swifts and Solihull Moors fell to Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.
The final first-round game on Monday sees League One side Fleetwood Town travel to Chorley, who are in the first round for the first time in 27 years. The teams last met competitively in 2006 in the Northern Premier League Division One and Fleetwood manager Uwe Rosler warned his players “to do the business on the day”.
On Saturday, Oxford City from the National League South beat Colchester United, who are 56 places above them, 1-0 to reach the second round for only the second time.
The day’s other shock came from Boreham Wood, 10th in the National League, who came back from a goal down to beat 1953 winners Blackpool 2-1 at home with the goals coming from substitutes Blair Turgott, on loan from Stevenage, and Dan Holman.
Another non-league side Maidstone, of the National League South, won 4-2 at the League Two side Cheltenham. But Lincoln City, who lost at Arsenal in the quarter-finals last season, lost 1-0 to AFC Wimbledon.