Peterborough Sports and Yaxley don’t like to be beside the sea as both dumped out of FA Trophy on coastal awaydays

By far the most surprising result was Step 3 Sports, who were beaten 2-1 at Step 4 Felixstowe and Walton United FC, who sit 14th out of 20 in the Isthmian League North Division. To rub salt into the wounds, Coalville’s away win at Lowestoft in the Southern Central League Premier Division has knocked them off top spot. They still, however, have two games in hand on their Leicestershire rivals.

Sports lost Marcus Kelly just before kick-off, he was replaced by Johnny Herd in the side, but they started strongly with Ryan Fryatt heading home a Dan Lawlor free-kick after just four minutes. Sports were well on top but were then stunned by Henry Bailey’s wonder-strike from outside the box just after the quarter of an hour mark. The game them settled into a fairly even pattern and the scores were level at the break.

Just five minutes after the break though, the hosts scored a route one goal, straight from a goal kick, the move was finished off by Zak Brown, who lobbed Lewis Moat in the Sports goal. Sports could never get themselves back up the gears in the second half and fell to a surprise defeat.

Things were much more straight forward with Yaxley’s trip to Canvey Island. It was a meeting of two Step 4 sides but in truth, there was a yawning chasm between unbeaten Isthmian League North Division table-toppers Canvey Island and Yaxley, 16th place in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands.

Things went wrong for Andy Furnell’s side after just six minutes. From their own corner, which Cotton hit to the first man, Canvey countered and picked out Harrison Chatting all on his own, he charged towards the box and was brought down by Aaron Butcher. The ‘keeper received a booking fir the challenge and Matthew Price tucked away the resulting penalty. Just a few minutes later, Conor Hubble smashed home from the near post and Yaxley had a mountain to climb.

Price’s header from Chatting’s cross made it three after just 24 minutes and ten minutes Price turned provider for Evans Kouassi to tap home after another successful counter-attack. Yaxley offered little and were not allowed any breathing space by a devastating Canvey side, who looked likely to score every time they came forward with the ball.

Canvey clearly eased off in the second half but still retained the majority of possession, flicking back into gear whenever an opportunity presented itself. Yaxley would have been pleased to hold out until the 74th minute but at that point, Chatting finally got on the scoresheet himself after good work from Kouassi on the left. Six was soon to follow for substitute Callum Fitzer. He looked to have missed controlled a low ball into the box at first, but he recovered and hit an effort on the turn brilliantly to beat Butcher down low.

Canvey can point to several other chances, notably Price chipping over the bar when in one-on-one and Price, again, blocking a goal bound effort from Kouassi on the line after he had jinked past at least five Yaxley defenders, that could have made the score even more overwhelming, but they ran out deserved winners and move onto the second round.

Sports can bounce back on Tuesday (November 16) as the host Royston at home in the league. On the same day, Yaxley travel to face 18th place Soham Town Rangers.