Havant & Waterlooville 1 : 0 Cray Valley Paper Mills

Bedsente Gomis’ 18th minute winner settled this FA Cup 1st Round tie in Hampshire ending minnows Cray Valley Paper Mills record FA Cup run. He headed home from Hawks debutant George McLennan’s fine left wing cross.

Even the bonus of H&W losing centre-back Godfrey Poku in the 63rd minute for a second yellow card did not push them to an equaliser.

The Millers came into this game on the 3G pitch as the competition’s leading scorers but fired a blank against their National League South opponents.

An adventure that began in the September sun in Eltham, had given the Millers nationwide exposure as their exploits and their quirky old school name captured the imagination of many who regard the world’s most famous knockout competition with reverence.

Yet the Millers came so close to prolonging their run for at least another half hour. Matthew Warren’s injury time strike from the edge of the box struck the angle of the crossbar and the post summed up their day in front of goal.

Despite having ten shots at goal and seven corners, the Millers failed to really trouble Hawks keeper Ross Worner as they looked to punish the ten man hosts.

There was the occasional hopeful penalty appeal, Connor Dymond appearing to be held by Sam Magri following a 22nd minute corner, but the home side were carving out the better chances. A Hawks counter-attack saw Josh Taylor’s fine run thwarted by onrushing Millers’ custodian Andy Walker on the edge of his area.

Another shout ensued ten minutes later as George McLennan appeared to push visiting striker Ade Yusuff in the box.

“There were certainly some talking points in the game which could so easily have swung things more in our favour” was how Millers’ boss Kevin Watson saw it, “but we are not looking for reasons or excuses beyond those that we can control”.

With the sending off of Poku, Watson replaced Kieron McCann with striker Francis Babalola as Valley looked to get back on level terms, but a succession of efforts from the edge of the 18-yard box were either deflected or flew beyond the target.

After Warren had a 90th minute drive pushed away by Worner, the resulting corner fell to Yusuff whose fall induced one last shout for a penalty. Referee James Durkin booked him for simulation.

With five minutes added on for stoppages, Warren’s strike was the nearest Valley came to taking the tie into extra time, leaving Watson to reflect “it wasn’t a journey that I felt needed to end today, but fine margins are often all it takes.

I didn’t feel there was any gulf of difference between the players as is so often expected”.

Hawks boss Paul Doswell reflected:

“I feel relieved – the better team lost today.”

Still, his side are 90 minutes away from a dream tie in the third round proper. There they could get Southampton. Still, they could get Portsmouth first.

Update: They got a coastal derby, away to Marine. This tie guarantees a nonleague club through to the third round.

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Also see: FA Cup Factfile

More Cray Valley

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Havant & Waterlooville : Worner, Read, Poku (S/O 63) , Diarra, Magri, Taylor, Iaciofano (Robson 69), Gomis, Wright, Deacon (Sinclair 85), McLennan

Subs : Straker, Ajakaiye, Bright, Luce, Tupper

Cray Valley: Walker, Dymond, Hickey (Morath-Gibbs 64), Sains, Tumkaya, Gayle, Adeyemo (Hill 78), McCann (Babalola 70), Warren, Ibrahiym, Yusuff

Subs Not Used : Blendell, Farmer, King-Elliot, Beerling

Referee : James Durkin

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