Barkingside 3-1 Hertford Town
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
First Round Qualifying Replay
Monday 17 September 2007
Oakside Stadium, Barkingside

Barkingside had led 3-1 after 18 minutes of Saturday’s match at Hertford, which finished 3-3 after home striker Kevin Cooper had completed a hat-trick, but the Essex Senior League outfit made no mistake at their own Oakside Stadium in last night’s replay.

Side’s reward for their 3-1 win, all the goals coming in the first half, is a Second Round Qualifying tie at Welling United of the Conference South.

Hertford, seventh in the Spartan South Midlands, were hitting the front players early as they dominated the first few minutes before 102 fans last night. When Lee Roberts received a pass out wide on the left, he had space to advance and chip expertly over Chris Clark to give the visitors a fourth-minute advantage.

Side had hardly had a kick up to that point but skipper Greg Thompson and Dom Harkins rolled up their sleeves in midfield and started to win tackles as the tide quickly turned.

Free-kicks started to rain into the Hertford box and from one of those Harkins levelled on 14 minutes. He struck his shot harder than he needed to from about three yards’ range, with the ‘keeper on the ground, and the ball bounced down and out from the angle of post and bar.

The assistant referee was in line with the incident and indicated that the ball had crossed the line.

The bit now between their teeth, the home side poured forward in search of more goals. The two Marks – Doyle and Steadman – were lively and enterprising in attack and the latter made it 2-1 on 23 minutes.

Taking a pass in his stride down the right, he ran diagonally towards Hertford’s goal before slipping the ball past Mark Virgo at the near post.

Ten minutes later it was 3-1, Matt 'Burger' Frew getting his head to a free-kick drifting to the far post and looping a header over the ‘keeper.

Hertford attacked with increasing desperation after the break but Side weren’t about to give up a two-goal advantage again. Frew was immense at centre-half until being substituted after taking a couple of knocks and Clark made some crucial stops near the end, including one with his knees.

The home players were leaping around at the final whistle, knowing that they can now test themselves against the might of Welling in a couple of weeks’ time.

The Kent club have some Cup pedigree, having played Blackburn Rovers in the Third Round Proper in 1989.