Second Round Qualifying

The 127th FA Cup competition has now reached the Second Round Qualifying stage, for which the draw was made at Soho Square today.

The 44 clubs from Conference North and South enter at this stage. The 80 Second Round Qualifying ties are scheduled to be played on Saturday 29 September, with the winning clubs each picking up £3,750.

This season’s FA Cup Sponsored by E.ON has already seen…

- An all-time record entry of 731 clubs.
- A record number of Extra Preliminary Round ties (171).
- A penalty hat-trick by Crowborough Athletic’s Justin Harris at Epsom & Ewell in the Extra Preliminary Round.
- A 12-0 win for Dereham Town at home to Fakenham Town in the same round.
- A 13-goal thriller between Colliers Wood United and Faversham Town that finished 7-6 to Colliers Wood in the Preliminary Round.
- Three Oxford City substitutes scoring in their 4-3 win at Andover in the Preliminary Round.
- Four goals in seven minutes by Billericay Town as they won 8-2 at Welwyn Garden City in the First Round Qualifying.
- Five goals for Gloucester City’s Jack Pitcher, returning from injury, in their 5-1 victory at Yate Town in the First Round Qualifying.
- A crowd of 3,112 for Fleetwood Town’s home tie with FC United of Manchester, the biggest for a First Round Qualifying match since Sittingbourne v Dover in 1993 (3,583).

Today’s draw has given home ties to the two clubs currently leading the pack in Conference North. Kettering Town, who reached the Fourth Round Proper in 1989, face Redditch United at Rockingham Road. Harrogate Town, second in the table but level on points, will host Nantwich Town.

The two sides at the top of Conference South are both from East Sussex. Lewes, edging Eastbourne Borough on goal difference, travel to Dunstable Town.

Borough have a home tie with Edgware Town, who have made a good start in the Isthmian League’s Division One North. Both Sussex clubs have recently made it through to home ties against Football League Clubs in the First Round Proper.

Two First Round Qualifying replays are being played tonight. The winners of Barkingside v Hertford Town have been drawn to play at Welling United, while Sutton United await the winners of Woodford United v Harwich & Parkeston at Gander Green Lane.