Another banana skin tie for Hawks

Hawks have been given another banana skin tie in the second round of the FA Trophy.

They have been drawn away to two tiers lower Isthmian League Division 1 Central club Bracknell Town in a tie to be played next Tuesday.

Should Hawks win, they would host National League South rivals Billericay or Braintree in the third round just four days later.

There is no way Hawks will be taking Bracknell lightly, as the Berkshire club play at the same level of non-league football - step 4 - as their FA Cup conquerors Marine.

Bracknell reached the second round with a surprise 1-0 win at one-division higher Salisbury on Tuesday night.

They had previously beaten Sevenoaks 2-0 and received a bye after Cinderford Town withdrew due to positive Covid-19 test results.

Bracknell are currently fifth in their league, but would be top if they won their games in hand.

They have so far only played five Isthmian matches, winning four and drawing the other.

Last season they were sixth, just outside the play-off zone but again with games in hand, when the season was halted due to the pandemic.

Main dangerman to Hawks at Larges Lane next Tuesday will be Seb Bowerman. He netted 17 times in 2019/20 and already has 10 this season.

Hawks have never played Bracknell in a competitive game, but Town’s first ever Trophy tie in 1987/88 was against Waterlooville - Bracknell winning 5-2.

Bracknell had previously won 2-1 at Waterlooville in an FA Cup tie in 1982/83.

Second round winners will each bank £3,750 with the losers pocketing £1,000. The third round winners will collect £4,500 and the losers £1,250.

FA Trophy draws

2nd rd (southern section, Dec 15):

Slough Town v Dartford, Dulwich Hamlet v Cheshunt, Welling v Oxford City, Bracknell v Hawks, Billericay Town v Braintree, Dorking v Hungerford, Maidstone v Poole Town, Concord v Truro City, Aveley v Chesham, Corinthian Casuals v Hemel Hempstead, Ebbsfleet United v Chippenham, Bath City v Chelmsford,

Enfield Town or Maldon & Tiptree v Bognor Regis, St Albans City v Cray Wanderers, Welwyn Garden v Burgess Hill, Tonbridge v Hornchurch, Haringey Borough v Eastbourne Borough, Swindon Supermarine v Carshalton, Frome v Hampton & Richmond.

3rd rd (Dec 19): Dorking or Hungerford v Barnet, Weymouth v Maidenhead, Welling or Oxford City v Concord or Truro City,

Aveley or Chesham v Torquay, Dagenham & Redbridge v Ebbsfleet or Chippenham, St Albans City or Cray Wanderers v Sutton, Dulwich or Cheshunt v Tonbridge Angels or Hornchurch, Welwyn Garden or Burgess Hill v Aldershot, Bracknell or Hawks v Billericay or Braintree, Bath City or Chelmsford v Swindon Supermarine or Carshalton, Slough or Dartford v Haringey Borough or Eastbourne Borough, Bromley v Corinthian Casuals or Hemel Hempstead, Boreham Wood v Yeovil Town, Woking v Dover, Enfield Town or

Maldon & Tiptree or Bognor v Gloucester City or Needham Market or Leiston, Maidstone or Poole v Frome or Hampton & Richmond, Wealdstone v Eastleigh.