FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round round-up: Whitstable Town hit seven, Hollands & Blair cause upset in derby with Herne Bay, defeat at first hurdle for Faversham Strike Force
There were mixed fortunes for Kent sides as the Road to Wembley started in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The day’s highest scorers in the extra preliminary round were FA Vase winners Whitstable Town, who ran out 7-2 winners at Lingfield thanks to a late hat-trick from substitute Dean Grant.
Jeff Duah-Kessie put the hosts ahead but Brad Schafer, Jake McIntyre and Javaun Splatt put Whitstable 3-1 ahead before Duah-Kessie pulled one back from the penalty spot before the break.
Schafer made it 4-2 on the hour mark and Grant then helped himself to a 15-minute hat-trick, the only blot on Whitstable’s day was a late red card for substitute Jack Peters.
On-loan Gills keeper Taite Holtam made a fine return for Ashford United, keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 win at Haywards Heath Town.
The only goal of the game came early in the second half from Louis Collins.
Veteran forward Ian Draycott scored the winner as Hollands & Blair produced an upset to knock out higher-league Herne Bay 1-0 at Star Meadow.
It was a first game in charge for Liam Friend but Draycott scored early in the second half to give Blair a trip to Knaphill in the next round.
Blair had returning keeper Dan Ellis to thank for saving a first-half penalty by Bay’s Kane Haysman.
Faversham Strike Force’s first venture into the FA Cup didn’t end the way they wanted as they lost their first home game at The Belmont, 4-0 to Chislehurst Glebe.
Jamie Philpot’s first-half penalty separated the sides at the break before goals from Khavarn Williams, Philpot and Mo Cham in an 11-minute spell midway through the second half settled the contest. Glebe had substitute Thibault Boud Abie sent off for two late bookings.
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