FAWLEY AFC (Waterside Sports & Social Club)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, FAWLEY AFC 0-3 AFC PORTCHESTER, ATTENDANCE: 72

After a tremendous evening sampling the delights Salisbury had to offer, I made my way down the A36 and A326 to Holbury, where the Waterside Sports and Social Club is located.

The Waterside is the home of AFC Fawley and that is where I would be completing my Wessex League FA Cup double this weekend. The game was taking place today as the facility is shared with Fawley Cricket Club, and they had a fixture on Saturday so the football game was moved to this afternoon. This was the first ever competitive first team fixture Fawley had played on a Sunday, so it was a small piece of history today.

The ground is enclosed with a seated stand on one side of the ground and a couple of covered stands on the other side of the ground. They look like they were built by members of the football club, which adds character to the ground.

Fawley is famous for the Esso refinery, which is one of the largest in Great Britain. The complex dominates the landscape and you can see the towers from the football ground.

The football club was formed in 1923 as AGWI United and they joined the Hampshire League in 1930. The club changed their name to Esso Fawley in 1949 and competed in the Hampshire league until 2010 when they won promtion to the Wessex League.

By this time the club was now known as Fawley AFC, having changed their name once again in 2002.

This afternoon was an all Wessex Premier League cup tie as Fawley hosted Porchester, who are managed by former Arsenal and England player Graham Rix (pictured right). The sunday fixture brought out a few other groundhoppers and I spent the afternoon in the company of a well known 'hopper from Shropshire.

The game was entertaining enough but Porchester always seemed to be in control. There were plenty of chances but no goals in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half was a different story as goals from Steve Ramsey, Tom Froggatt and Joe Bye ensured Porchester's passage into the next round, where they will be home to Mangotsfield United.

BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS (Western Way)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS 1-0 KEYNSHAM TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 56 (h/c)

Today 368 teams set out on the road to Wembley as the FA Cup got under way with the Extra Preliminary Round. 

With plenty of tasty looking ties to choose from, I headed to Salisbury for the Wessex v Western League tie between Bemerton Heath Harlequins and Keynsham.

The Club was formed in 1989 as an amalgamation of Bemerton Athletic, Moon FC and Bemerton Boys, with the aim of achieving Wessex League football. Having successfully achieved this target the club have been mainstays of the top division, including two successive runners up spots in 2011 and 2012.

The club play their home games at Western Way in Bermerton, which is a couple of miles west of Salisbury city centre. The ground is fully enclosed by trees and there is a seated stand and a small terrace. I never bothered going in the clubhouse today as there was a kids party taking place. I did sample the snack bar though and I have to say the hot dogs were excellent!

The game was a tight affair with little to choose between the teams. The match was settled just before half time when a superb free kick from Jake Rawkins found the top corner of the Keynsham net (pictured below).

The visitors from Bristol pushed forward in the second half, which made them vulnerable on the break, but they could not find an equaliser, nor Bemerton a second goal, and the tie ended 1-0.

Bemerton will now travel to play Amesbury Town in the next round.

NUNEATON GRIFF (The Pingles Stadium)

FA VASE 5th ROUND, NUNEATON GRIFF 0-3 SALISBURY FC, ATTENDANCE: 870

The business end of the FA Vase drew me to the West Midlands as the lowest ranked team definitely in the fifth round attempted to win through to the last eight. Midlands League Division One (step 6) Nuneaton Griff were hosting Wessex League (step 5) Salisbury FC. I clearly wasn't the only football fan attracted to this game as Nuneaton Griff's record crowd of 870 passed through the gate.

Nuneaton Griff was founded in 1972 as Nuneaton Amateurs but a dispute resulted in many members moving to the Nuneaton Griff and Coton Miners Welfare Ground. The club played in various Coventry league until 1999 when they joined the Midland Football Combination.

Nuneaton are currently fourth in the league table and I did actually see them play earlier this season when they were very impressive in dispatching Bolehall Swifts by 7 goals to 3.

The Pingles Stadium is also the home of Nuneaton Harriers
Athletics Club.

The last time I watched a Salisbury team play was on the final day of the 2013/14 when a 2-2 draw at the Deva Stadium relegated Chester from the Conference. However Chester were reprieved when Salisbury City were unable to meet their financial obligations, after the club was sold to two businessmen with no money, and removed from the Conference. The club were placed in administration and it's assets were bought by a consortium and a new phoenix club, Salisbury FC, rose from the ashes. Steve Claridge was part of the consortium and he is also the manager of the new club.

Sam Wilson scores from the spot for Salisbury

On a bobbly pitch, and in very windy conditions, Salisbury won through thanks to a hat-trick from Sam Wilson, but that scoreline doesn't reflect the game.

For the majority of the match there was hardly anything between the teams though, as you would have expected, Salisbury enjoyed most of the possession.

The game hinged on two penalties. Salisbury were awarded a penalty after 31 minutes, after Calum Brockway was tripped in the box. Sam Wilson duly dispatched the spot kick.

Griff's Ashley Wilks sees his effort saved

After 52 minutes Nuneaton were awarded a spot kick themselves after Brockway unceremoniously ended Ben Ashby's run, but Ashley Wilks effort was saved by Charlie Searle in the Salisbury goal.

Salisbury played out the last 20 minutes or so with 10 men after went off injured and all their substitutes had been used.

However as Nuneaton chased the game they were caught out and Wilson (83 & 90) ensured it would be the Whites who went through to the quarter finals and a home tie with Dunston UTS or Ashford United.

CHRISTCHURCH FC (Hurn Bridge Sports Ground)

WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE, CHRISTCHURCH 1-1 MONEYFIELDS, ATTENDANCE: 65 (h/c)

It was a double header for me today, beginning at Dean Court, the home of AFC Bournemouth. They were taking on Brighton & Hove Albion in Football League Championship.

I last visited Dean Court back in 1999 and it has changed quite a bit in the intervening years, due to the rebuilding of all sides of the ground and the rotating of the pitch 90 degrees.  

It was a very enjoyable game, both sides playing some decent football. Bournemouth will probably rue the chances they missed but on balance of play a draw was a fair result. Both goals were fine strikes as Matt Ritchie gave The Cherries the lead after minutes before an Ashley Barnes screamer levelled things up. I'd say most of the 9,870 crowd went home happy.

Main Stand at Dean Court, home of AFC Bournemouth

Once that game was over a taxi was waiting at the final whistle to whisk us the 5 miles to the main event at The Hurn Bridge Sports Ground....

....which has been Christchurch's home since 1984. They moved here after leaving their Barrack Road recreation ground.

Formed in 1885, they were founder members of the Hampshire FA in 1887. The club joined the Wessex League in 1987, and have remained members ever since.

Today was a Premier League clash with Portsmouth based Moneyfields FC and it was an enjoyable game.

Church lead through a Dan Saul diving header and they enjoyed most of the play in the first period. They created best of the chances and perhaps should have extended their lead. 

However once a Jack Blake-Sullivan free kick had levelled things up, Christchurch were hanging on as Moneyfields could have grabbed the points. In the end a draw was maybe fair enough.

I Really liked the ground, a decent stand and the mix of colours in the woodland surroundings were rather pleasing on the eye. The clubhouse also had two Ringwood Ales on the go, which meant my half time refreshment was sorted!