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The FA cup doesn’t just begin when the Premier League teams enter in the 3rd Round proper. It begins this week with the First Qualification Round.
In the truest traditions of the grassroots tournament, we are following a side from the outset and hope to stay with them and be at their games, or those of the side who eliminate them, all the way to Wembley.
This site already sponsors the manager of Carlisle City, James Nichols. So in the interests of geographical balance, we selected a club at the other end of the nation, Portsmouth’s own Moneyfields FC. Our assistant editor Conor Smith claims to have played against their reserves for Netley which may have influenced our choice.
The decision was cemented by their opposition Aylesbury United. The Ducks are a club with an FA Cup pedigree, who currently play their home games in Chesham, agonisingly far from their own Buckinghamshire home town, but agonisingly close to Wembley which is where this story ends next May.
So we started our series, “Moneyfields to Wembley” with their visit to Aylesbury United, the Ducks, now playing their home games at the Meadows, home of Chesham United.
AYLESBURY UNITED 2 – 2 MONEYFIELDS
(Moneyfields win 4-3 on penalties)
The day may come when we treasure memories of watching live football. This is one game that will live in the mind for a while to come but Aylesbury United may want to forget.
They were awarded three penalties in just nine minutes and still managed to be eliminated from the 2020/21 FA Cup. There may not even be a statistical record for that.
Including the subsequent shoot out, they converted just four out of ten spot kicks, compared to their visitors’ five from eight.
There was no indication of what was to follow after a goalless first half in which neither goalkeeper even left his feet until the 43rd minute. Money’s keeper Jake Hallett, who was to later make some history, made a decent leg save from Ty Deacon.
It was a decent first half in perfect footballing conditions. The finishing has failed to test the keepers much but the 112 attendance could have no complaints.
The second half was however both pulsating and absorbing.
Four penalties were awarded, three of them to Aylesbury inside nine minutes of late game craziness.
Alex Lafleur won Moneyfield’s first penalty
However is was the guests from Hampshire who benefitted first from the refereeing largesse.
Steve Hutchings opened the scoring from the spot after Stuart Kyle had awarded one for a foul on the excellent Alex Lafleur nine minutes after the restart.
Although still controling plenty of possession, the Aylesbury Ducks had to rely on gifts thereafter.
Five minutes later, poor Curtis Da Costa mistimed and misdirected a backheader to Money’s keeper Hallett. A grateful Lee Stobbs, a substitute last Saturday against Corby, lobbed rather neatly over the stranded keeper to equalise.
Hutchings was allowed too much time to turn and shoot on 69′, although his shot was aided by a cruel deflection that left James Weatherill flatfooted to restore the Hampshire side’s lead.
At that point, with playmaker Max Hercules already off the field, few among the home support saw where an equalising goal would come from.
Along however came the Aylesbury penalty glut courtesy of referee Kyle who awarded the home side three penalties in nine minutes.
On 79′, a blocked shot resulted in a penalty for a handball with Kyle, to be fair, excellently positioned to see it. Hallett made a superb save to deny Ty Deacon again. It was not a bad penalty and much credit must go to the keeper.
Six minutes later, and to the fury of the Moneyfields bench, assistant referee Sam Olhausen raised his flag. Although hard to see what offence he signaled, he was both timely and certain, and left Mr Kyle no option but to award Aylesbury a second spot kick.
Olly Hogg had scored the only goal with a spectacular volley on Saturday at Corby and was give the responsibility over the luckless Deacon. Hogg hammered the ball hard and true, and brought the score to 2-2 to the fury of coach Dave Carter and his assistant Brett Poate on the Moneyfields bench.
Thereafter, the home fans yelled for any penalty and one wag said:
“Come on. He’s not going to award us three!”
How wrong he was.
Amazingly, there was still time for the home side to be awarded their third penalty in nine minutes.
Money’s keeper Hallett came charging out of his box and clearly handled the ball.
As the home fans screamed for a probable red card, Mr Kyle rightly played the advantage. One of the substitutes Junon Akintunde or Scott French seemed certain to net but Hallett, rushing back, cleared them both off their feet.
It was the clearest of all three Ducks penalties and up stepped Hogg to win the game. Sadly, he skied the ball so far over it might have hit the other type of duck embarking on its emigration to warmer climes.
Akintunde hit the side netting with one last chance for the home side, but the Portsmouth based side must have fancied their chances in a penalty shoot out, their hosts having already missed two out of three.
The Ducks even missed their first two, to slump to a success rate of one out of five.
Sonny French’s kick was saved by the excellent Hallett, whereas Jake Bewley missed.
Trailing 2-0, all seemed doomed. But a combination of James Weatherill and the crossbar hauled them back into contention.
The Ducks however pulled it level. Deacon and Akintunde converted while Moneyfields otherwise dominant center half Sam Pearce missed and Conor Bailey was defied by a great Weatherill save.
Both sides scored, then both sides missed with Jake Raine missing the chance to put Moneyfields into the next round.
But after Mark Riddick failed to convert, finally up stepped Joe Briggs to secure Moneyfields’ victory.
Aylesbury have a week off to reflect before entertaining Wantage Town in league action on Wednesday 30th September.
Moneyfields host Melksham Town in the league next Tuesday but more eyed will be on the draw for the second qualification round.
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