Farnham Town would be looking to bounce back from their disappointing Preliminary Round exit in the Emirates FA Cup by putting in a strong showing in the Club’s first-ever FA Trophy fixture in their 118-year history following their promotion to Step 4 last season.
Entering at the earliest possible stage of the competition, the Town would be taking on another newcomer to the competition in Erith Town who secured promotion to the Isthmian South East in 2023/24, but would hope that they wouldn’t fall to the same fate as the last time they squared off against Kent-based opposition.
Jordan Stepney’s red card in the defeat to Sittingbourne leaves the defender suspended for this tie, allowing Max Meaton to come back into the back four. The return of Mark Waters in midfield enables Joe Jackson to drop back into left-back, while the Club’s newest arrival, Sam De St Croix who joins from Hungerford Town, is thrust immediately into the attack with Duarte Martins making way.
Paul Johnson’s side got on the front foot early in the game and assumed control of the midfield with Sanders dictating the play. He played a clipped ball over the Erith Town defence for Owen Dean to chase, his left-footed shot was blocked into the path of De St Croix who got crowded out before he could take aim at the visitors’ net.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Farnham carved out their best opportunity as Owen Dean played a cross in from the right for De St Croix who controlled it well. With his back to goal, he laid it off for the underlapping Jack Dean who looked to pick out the far left corner, only to be denied by a late block.
De St Croix, the new man in attack, seemed to be always in and around Farnham’s best moves of the first half, which is a good sign. Sanders lifted a cross into the box from the left and split the defenders to find De St Croix who could only stab a first-time right-footed effort goalward which was well held.
Joe Jackson’s marauding runs from left-back became a staple of the Town’s success last season and having been reinstated in the position for this game, his link-up play with Sanders down the left often proved challenging to track for the visitors. A pair of one-twos between them having carried the ball 60 yards up field saw Sanders with an opportunity to cross from the left byline. His cross beat the defenders and found Owen Dean at the back post on the volley, but the contact was weak allowing the ‘keeper to come across and parry it away.
The pair combined again just moments later with Jackson again striding forward from deep in his own half towards the Erith box, this time opting to play Sanders through the middle. The No.10 attempted a first-time outside-of-the-boot effort to wrong-foot the ‘keeper who ended up making an excellent low save with his right foot to keep the score level, albeit temporarily.
On 28 minutes, the Town finally broke the deadlock. From the resulting corner, Harry Cooksley sent a high, curling cross towards the back post where Adam Liddle found himself unmarked in acres of space. He watched the ball come down to send a swivelling volley into the bottom corner to send Farnham into a deserved lead.
Farnham made a habit of scoring goals in quick succession last season and three minutes later they had done so again. Liddle sent a cross-field switch out to Jack Dean on the right edge of the box. He crossed it back infield for Sanders who sent a curling effort into the top left corner to give the Town a two-goal lead.
A third was on the agenda before halftime if not for some valiant defending from Erith Town. Owen Dean coming inside from the left, avoiding multiple challenges to try and slot it home. His effort gets blocked and Mark Waters looked to follow it home to see his rebound cleared away as well, with the score remaining at 2-0 going into the break.
Shortly after the restart, however, Farnham did find their deserved third goal. Jack Dean collected the ball on the right flank and burst inside, driving into the box before being tripped over leading to the awarding of a spot kick. Owen Dean, now on penalty duties, stepped up to slot home to the ‘keepers left, putting the Town in cruise control.
Ten minutes later, Farnham thought they had engineered a second penalty of the game again as a result of the drive and purpose from Jack Dean out wide. After skipping past two challengers to enter the box, he cut it back for Liddle to turn and shoot, but his goalbound effort seemed to cannon away off an arm, but the referee waved away the protests.
Chance after chance would come for Farnham to make it four, but none of them would nestle in the back of the net. Joel Rollinson after coming off the bench had an opportunity to make an instant impact when he latched onto a loose pass across the visitors box. He looked to whip a left-footed effort into the bottom right corner but it flashed past the wrong side of the post.
Also introduced late on was Shay Brennan who would spurn an equally big chance having been slid through by Rollinson, this time looking to pick out the bottom left corner but again, the shot was a whisker wide of the mark.
The fourth goal would never come but a comfortable win for Farnham Town books their place in the First Round Qualifying of the FA Trophy where they will host Flackwell Heath at The Memorial Ground.