28 October 2007
FA CUP VIDEO: Salisbury City 0-0 Stevenage Borough

Matt Tubbs missed an inviting opportunity from the spot to put Salisbury through to the next round, with the game ending all-square.


Lewes 2-0 Grays Athletic
FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Fourth Round Qualifying Replay
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
The Dripping Pan, Lewes FC

Lewes from the Conference South made it through to the First Round Proper for the third time in their history after a gutsy display against Grays Athletic last night. Ian Simpemba and Paul Booth notched the first-half goals in a deserved win for the Sussex side.

Grays have struggled to score goals in their Conference National season, leaving them in the bottom half of the table, and they fashioned very few chances in last night's replay. They did attack in numbers in the early minutes but Danny Kedwell's header from a left-wing corner was the only effort to bother home 'keeper Steve Williams.

Dale Binns almost opened Lewes' account in the second minute, sprinting clear on the left before firing in a low shot that Danny Knowles pushed around his left-hand post at full stretch.

With more pace up front, they looked the more likely to score and made the breakthrough on 23 minutes. A Simon Wormull corner from the right a couple of minutes earlier had been cut out by the nearest Grays defender but his next attempt brought dividends.

The ball curled over to a point near the penalty mark and Simpemba leapt the highest out of a clutch of players to power in a header that hit the inside of a post on its way into the net.

Simpemba and Steve Robinson were immense in central defence throughout the game, allowing the visiting forwards very little scope to create anything meaningful. A second Lewes goal looked on the cards, with Binns always in space out wide and Booth constantly probing in the centre.

It came four minutes before the interval and resulted from a superb piece of play by left-back Anthony Barness. He controlled a long pass at speed and instantly crossed hard and low into the box for Booth to joyfully turn the ball in from two yards' range. The massed ranks of Lewes fans in the terracing behind the goal were in raptures.

Lewes came out with a determined look for the second half and were clearly not about to concede their advantage. It became a very frustrating night for Grays, who tried their best but any decent efforts on goal were invariably blocked or deflected behind. One miss from virtually on the goal-line in stoppage time perfectly summed it up. Lewes could even have made it 3-0 as a blast from Binns was well saved down by a post by Knowles.

The Rooks have already played Stoke City and Darlington in the First Round. Now they go to Mansfield Town, who are not exactly having a great time of it in League Two. Who would bet against them getting a result?

Attendance: 746