Roberts seeking Magpies reunion
.... but first Portchester have to get past Blackfield
AFC Portchester will host two divisions higher Wimborne Town if they can win tonight’s FA Cup preliminary qualifying round replay against Blackfield & Langley.
The Royals are bidding for a second home success of the season after knocking out Wessex Premier rivals Horndean 4-2 just over a fortnight ago.
A Kieran Roberts strike put them ahead against Blackfield at the weekend before the hosts levelled to set up tonight’s On-Site Group Stadium replay (7.45pm).
If Portchester do progress, they will be meeting Wimborne for the second season running in the world’s greatest club knockout tournament.
The Magpies, who play in the Southern League Premier South, defeated the Royals 3-0 at the preliminary qualifying round stage in August 2020.
The Dorset club - where Roberts was once on the books - haven’t made a great start to their league season, picking up one point from three games.
Ex-US Portsmouth loanee striker Lewis Beale put them ahead in the curtain-raiser against Taunton, only for the visitors to hit back and win 4-1.
A 0-0 draw at Yate was followed up by a 2-0 loss at Hartley Wintney last weekend.
Gosport Borough have been drawn at home to step 4 newcomers Plymouth Parkway in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.
Parkway, promoted as part of the non-league close season restructure, defeated Cornish club Mousehole 3-1 away in the preliminary round.
The Devonians, who dumped Fareham out of the FA Vase last season, have so far lost 1-0 at Totton and drawn 2-2 at home to Frome in their Southern League Division 1 South fixtures.
Bognor Regis Town have been handed a tough FA Cup trip to early-season Southern League Premier South tabletoppers Hayes & Yeading.
Hayes have belted 12 goals in winning their opening three league games, including a 6-2 romp at Hendon which featured a four-goal blast from ex-Woking, Sutton, Eastleigh and Wealdstone forward Moses Emmanuel.
At present, three Wessex League clubs are definitely into the first qualifying round - Hamworthy, Shaftesbury and Alresford. The latter, who knocked out Fareham last weekend, now travel to Gloucester-based Hellenic Leaguers Longlevens.
Hawks and their fellow sixth tier clubs enter the FA Cup at the second qualifying round stage.
First qualifying round ties will be played on Saturday, September 4.
A handful of local Wessex League clubs begin their Hampshire Senior Cup campaign tonight. Moneyfields (home to Andover New Street), Baffins (at Brockenhurst) and US Portsmouth (at Eversley & California) are all in first round action. Moneys face an Andover side who have struck five goals in each of their last two home Wessex 1 games.
And Luke Hooper, who scored 22 times in 30 games in 2019/20, struck hat-tricks in both those wins against Infinity and Fleet Spurs.
Fareham have a bye through to the second round while Portchester (home to Infinity, August 31) and Horndean (home to the Royal Navy, September 9) have a wait before playing their first round ties.