Hartley Wintney successfully negotiated their fourth tie in this season's FA Cup - three of them against higher league opposition - to take their place in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the prestigious trophy for the first time in the club's history.

In front of a sizeable crowd on a gloriously sunny and warm first of October, the home side were matched against Evo-Stick Southern League Division 1 South & West side Bideford AFC, who were sitting third in their division. It was clear that any surprise factor for the home side would have gone by now after wins away at Alresford Town and at home to Southern Premier Bashley, so this was always going to be a very tough call, even for in-form Hartley Wintney of the Combined Counties Division 1.

The home side started well but Bideford were exerting plenty of their own pressure, particularly down their right wing, giving left-back Andy Newcombe plenty of work to do. Chances were created at both ends but it was a relatively scrappy game with both sides looking for the longer ball to cut their forwards free. As the visitors continued to press, Hartley's defence and midfield were forced deeper, and with Hartley's forwards being well marshalled, they found it difficult to find space and collect the balls being played out of defence.

With the half-time whistle due within a couple of minutes, it was Bideford's pressure that finally paid off for them. Keeper Lee Allen rose to claim a high ball but was unable to grasp the ball cleanly under a strong challenge. The ball ran loose and at first it seemed the danger might be cleared, but it fell to Bideford's Kevin Squires who struck the ball firmly passed the recovering Allen and the defenders on the line.

It was a cruel blow to the home side, who had matched their visitors well and could have scored themselves, but having gone behind for the first time in the Cup this season, and against strong opposition, it was going to take a huge effort and a great deal of belief for Hartley to get something from the game. They began the second half in confident mood and restricted the visitors to half chances while creating some better openings of their own. There were less gaps and we looked stronger, while the visitors continued to dispute many of the decisions they believed were going against them.

The equaliser came on 55 minutes. The ball was headed up high by one of the Bideford central defenders and was dropping some way behind him. As Jermaine Hamilton moved at pace towards what seemed a lost cause as the ball looked to be heading over the byline, the keeper appeared to hesitate then came to close off what appeared to be an impossible angle. Talking with Jermaine afterwards, he was aware that nobody was up with him and felt he could do nothing else but have a go on the half volley. From the acutest of angles he managed to thread the ball between the onrushing keeper and near post, and while nine times out of ten it would have gone right across the goal, there was just enough angle and swerve to take it inside the far post.

Lifted by the equaliser and great vocal suppport from the home crowd, the confidence in the home side visibly increased even more and it was just 5 minutes later that Ryan Stephens went on one of his jinking runs into the box and, as the keeper came out, Ryan swivelled to take the ball from his grasp and was taken down with the ref ideally placed and he showed no hesitation in awarding the penalty. Up steps Jermaine Hamilton, clearly a lot calmer than most of the watching home fans, to stroke the penalty hard and low to the keeper's left and into the bottom corner.

While Hartley went on to hit the post twice, including a rasping drive by Dean Peltohaka after a terrific pass by Ryan Stephens, the visitors were mostly restricted to relatively long-range shots, although the latter stages certainly required some more excellent defending from joint Man of the Match Darryl Bloxham, fellow centre-back Chris Paterson and fullbacks Nathan Stamp and Andrew Newcombe. Keeper Lee Allen had also by now long dispelled any anguish over the first-half spill with some timely clearances and good handling, though thankfully he had few real saves to make.

Great scenes again at the final whistle as Hartley Wintney pulled off another unlikely cup shock. Jermaine Hamilton was voted joint Man of the Match along with 'Blocko'. [KOB]

SQUAD: Lee Allen, Nathan Stamp, Andrew Newcombe, Chris Paterson, Darryl Bloxham, Jack Coventry, Martin Williams (C), Dean Peltohaka, Jermaine Hamilton, Ryan Stephens, Ben Dillon. Subs: Dan Tillson, Josh Daniels (on for Stephens), Oliver Bridges, Nick Kingston (on for Jermaine Hamilton), Dan Brownlie (on for Ben Dillon).

Squad : Aaron Carter - Shaun Tullett - Dan Dansie - Kieron Fuller - Alex Jupp - Josh Knight - Luke Fewtrell - Chris Swadling - Tom Slane - Rafa Barbosa

Sub : Paul Wade

Hants Cup game away to Waterlooville : I struggled to get a team together for this fixture what with injuries and lads being called into work at the last minute left me short had to go with 10 out field players and 2 goal keepers.

This was going to be a very good lesson for our young lads and I hope they now appreciate how good we have things at HWFC and the league we play in. The game started at a frantic pace on a very hot afternoon but the playing surface was quite good for a school pitch

we just could not keep hold of the ball they kept coming at us and after about 18 minutes we went 1 - 0 down we got through the 1st half but we looked like we were down and out of it. All I could do was to change a few of the positions around not having any fresh legs to put on, 2nd half started and within the 1st minute we found ourselves 2 - 0 down 51 minutes 3 - 0 down and 75 minutes 4 - 0 down and not looking good but for some reason the lads picked the tempo of the game up and started to create chances their hard work paid off on the 81st minute and Tom smashed his shot into the net 4 -1 three minutes later Chris S = Lloyd hit a rocket shoot that flew into the net 4 -2 we were on a roll but running out of time chances came and went for us we kept pushing and Rafa got our 3rd 4-3 they kicked off and the ref blew his whistle game over. This was certainly a tough game, one in which I have learned a great deal about my players we can use this as part of our development as a team and again push on from it, the lads worked hard for each other on a very hot afternoon and if we did have them fresh legs we might of got somthing from the game unlucky lads - Jamie     

Hartley Wintney smoothly cruised to victory in a highly accomplished manner against Petersfield, who began the game top of the table in Wessex Div 1.

Hartley started off brightly and it was no surprise when Martin Williams found plenty of space in front of him and hit a beauty from 20 yards into the top corner.

Hartley continued to dominate and Jermaine Hamilton turned smartly in the penalty area and struck the ball low into the corner. It was only 2-0 at half-time with Hartley so dominant - but failing to make the most of their chances - that Lee Allen only had one save to make.

The second half continued in the same vein like the first, but the Hartley strikers were having one of those days when nothing went right for them and it seemed that however hard they tried they were not going to score, even if they played another 90 minutes! And so it was left to centre-half Darrel Bloxham when he rose above everyone to score with a powerful header from a corner. As he said afterwards, he could not remember the last time he scored!!

It was then a procession after that and Nick Kingston added a fourth with a touch of fortune when it bounced over the keeper. A brief lapse by the defence allowed Petersfield a consolation goal, but then the icing on the cake was when Andy Newcombe's swerving cross from 30 yards out went straight into the back of the net.

Two things stood out in this game:
Lee Allen will never make an outfield footballer... because when he tried to beat two players with his dainty footwork he lost the ball.
Man of the Match has to be Martin Williams as he controlled the midfield and, with his neat touches, he dominated proceedings with his class... and even on one occasion he smiled...

Make no mistake, Petersfield were not a bad side, they had one or two individuals who could play good football, but they did not ignite as a team in the way that Hartley did and who, in the end, totally outclassed them.

As a footnote, the club were at one time considering pulling out of the Combined Counties League - as they were taking more new teams into it from around South London and creating longer journeys - and moving to the Wessex League. I wonder where we would be now!!

In the next round we play Bournemouth Poppies FC away, who are in the Wessex Premier League. [NV]

TEAM: L Allen, L Pearson, A Newcombe, C Paterson (O Bridges), D Bloxham, J Coventry, M Williams, D Peltohaka, J Hamilton (N Kingston), R Stephens, B Dillon (D Brownlie)
Subs: D Tillson, J Tennant, N Kingston, D Brownlie, O Bridges.

Squad : Aaron Carter - Marcus Watson - Alex Jupp - Kieron Fuller - Lloyd Jones - Josh Knight - Chris Swadling - Elliot Hobden - Ton Slane - Ryan Warner - Craig Mugford = Sub's: Shaun Tullett - Austin Kelly. 

The first 20 minutes of the game we looked vey impreesive and were playing some our best football so far this season we managed to start playing near perfect two touch football moving the ball up the pitch and creating quite a few chances but again not clinical enough in front of goal we kept pushing for that first goal but again they hit us on the break put in one cross and scored their first goal 1 - 0 down at half time. they also should of been down to 10 men after their number 11 had a tussle with Keiron Fuller and raised his hands but only got a yellow. 

2nd half:As expected Harefield upped the tempo and forced 2 or 3 good saves from Aaron Carter, last ditch tackles were being made but our defence worked very hard to keep them at bay but we just could not keep posession of the ball and they pegged us back in our own half. The tide was clearly turning and thing became even more difficult and before we knew it we had lost the game 5 - 0 some of my lads played out of their skins today but some of them let the others down. We will draw a line under this one today and accept we have a very young side with a lot to learn just need to play as a team for the full 90. 

Hartley Wintney produced a major shock upset in the cup today when they beat high flying Bashley of the Southern Premier League at Hartley 1-0.

The first half was quite an even affair where both teams seemed nervous, with too many misplaced passes, and the visitors really only had one relatively easy chance, which was spurned. After the break Bashley began to exert more pressure and began to create one or two chances, but the back four and goalkeeper Lee Allen for Hartley played magnificently and kept them at bay, so that they became more despondent as the game went on.

Hartley then began to have more possession and more confidence and started to create chances of their own, and then it happened; in the 83rd minute an astute substitution in the name of Daniel Brownlie took control after Willo (captain Martin Williams) had put him through and he calmly slotted the ball home.

After that the confidence in the home side oozed through and it was end-to-end stuff with our forwards having three or four shots all saved by the keeper in the space of ten minutes, and although Bashley searched for an equaliser the defence rode out the storm. When the final whistle went there was the loudest cheer heard in Hartley Wintney for years. This was a truly terrific result for Hartley and they have now gone ten games without defeat and cannot wait for the lst October and the next cup tie; against unknown opponents at the moment but who cares when they put on a performance like that!

The man of the match, although all the defence played well and any one of them could have won it, went to Chris Paterson.

After the game Bashley were honourable in defeat and said that this was the magic of the cup, the unexpected happens, we deserved to win and hoped us well in the next round.

When asked for his comments, Roachy (manager Neville Roach) said "I am still lost for words, the guys played out of their skin, I am still in shock, they were fantastic." [NV]

SQUAD: Lee Allen, Luke Pearson, Andy Newcombe, Chris Paterson, Darryl Bloxham, Michael Lee (Jack Coventry), Martin Williams (c), Dean Peltohaka, Jermaine Hamilton (James Tennant), Ryan Stephens, Ben Dillon (Daniel Brownlie). Subs: Dan Tillson, Jack Coventry, Oliver Bridges, James Tennant, Daniel Brownlie, Ryan Warner, Luke Fewtrell.

SQUAD : AARON CARTER - MARCUS WATSON - DAN DANSIE - KIERON FULLER - LLOYD JONES - CRAIG FRASER - JOSH KNIGHT - TOM SLANE - ALEX CHARLICK - RYAN WARNER - TOM STAPLETON 

SUB'S : JOSH HOLLAND - PAUL WADE - ALEX JUPP

A disappointing result the week before but I understand that the Lads should of got a draw out of the game ? This week Adrian & Rory had picked the side as I had only got back Friday night from two weeks holiday in Spain It was a very young side that we had out V Tring and the average age of our players was 18 the youngest being 16 and the oldest being 22 but I must say they all worked very hard for each other and did themselves proud,despite going a goal down 1 - 0 in the first half.

The lads came out secound half and started to play some very good attacking football probing the Tring defence at every opportunity some good work from Tom Slane down the right wing put in a very good cross for Ryan Warner to get on the end of it to get our goal.

We kept pushing for the winner Alex Jupp and Alex Charlick both coming close but again we could not put it in the net all our hard work went wrong when Tring hit us on the break and got their 2nd goal I must say that the attitude of the players in the 2nd half was incredible and for that alone we deserved a draw today well done lads.               

SQUAD : AARON CARTER - MARCUS WATSON - DUNCAN CLEARY - KIERON FULLER - IAN DANIELLS - LLOYD JONES - LUKE FEWTRELL - ELLIOT HOBDEN - RYAN WARNER - ROSS BARNARD - ALEX CHARLICK

SUB'S : TOM SLANE - RAFA BARBOSA - DAVE MORGAN - PAUL WADE 

Farnborough started the brighter of the to sides, they effectively kept posession and pegged us back for the first 15 to 20 minutes although we did limited them to hitting long range efforts due to the hard work of our defence. Farnborough continued to have the upper hand but we continued to battle on and briefly threatened when we were able to get the ball into their half of the pitch.

Farnborough did manage to take the lead after 26 minutes when we gave away a free kick on the edge of our box, the half continued to be a battle with very few chances being created in their half by us 1 - 0 down at half time.

2nd half : Again we did not start well within 2 minutes of it starting we were 2 - 0 down due to another free kick given away on the edge of our box their confidence was growing and they started to come at us from all areas of the pitch they upped the tempo and within the next 25 minutes we were 4 - 0 down, I put on 3 new pairs of legs and we started to up our tempo and  managed to force 2 or 3 good saves out of their keeper we continued to press and deservedly got our first goal, some good work down the ring wing and Lloyd Jones sliding into the 6 yard box to get on the end of the cross to push the ball over the line 1 - 4 we kept pushing for another goal but they hit us on the break and got their 5th 1 - 5 but i must say the lads gave it their all for the last 15 minutes more chances came and went and we won a penalty on the 45 minute Ross Barnard slotted it home to finish the game 2 - 5 If we can play the way we did for the last 2O minutes of to nights game week in week out we will come away with some good results remember it's a very young side with a lot still to learn. Our game on the 27th is now cancelled due to the bank holiday. next game Home on the 3rd Sept   

Match Report By RovingJoe | Tuesday 9th August 2011

Captain Martin Williams grabbed an injury-time equaliser to deny Guernsey FC from securing all three points
Williams struck two minutes into added time to salvage a point after a Guernsey defender handled the ball just outside the area.

Guernsey started brightly and kept the ball well, however had difficulty creating the final ball, and lacked creativity in midfield. Hartley also started well, not allowing Guernsey to gain their rhythm, with Kingston and Thorne working hard in midfield to regain and break up possession. Hartley started to regain more of the possession and began piling on the pressure.

Hartley broke the deadlock in the first half when Dean Peltohaka neatly finished in the top left hand corner of the impressive Guernsey keeper. This goal felt like a long time coming, after Ryan Stephens had come close on numerous occasions, including a terrific strike that forced a one handed save from the young keeper. Newcombe also ran onto a ball and sent a rocket, which agonisingly hit the bottom of the post from 30 yards.

Hartley controlled much of the first half, with Nathan Stamp often finding the feet of Dean Peltohaka who, with a deft touch, would set up the forward running Kingston and Stephens.

Guernsey did create chances themselves; however the ever improving Lee Allen was hardly troubled and took control of his area.

First Half 1-0

With an audience of just under 300, Guernsey came out in a changed kit, having spent the first half in Hartley's away strip due to difficulties at the airport.

The game turned on its head when Guernsey's pacey forward broke through on goal and fell to the ground. The ref believed Patterson had pulled the player down, and was shown the red card (we reserve judgement!).

The game began to turn against Hartley, with very few decisions going their way. Ollie Bridges was brought on to replace Dean Peltohaka, to partner up with Darrel Bloxham in the centre of defence. Not long after, Guernsey scored a scrappy goal; the strike was cruel on the hard-working Hartley side that had created the better chances but ultimately paid the price for some wasteful finishing.

Then with ten minutes to go, the well supported Guernsey side broke through on goal, Bloxham lunged to get the ball but ended up taking the player first. With everyone expecting a red card to come out, in view of the previous sending off being a lot softer, the Ref surprisingly waved a yellow card in the air. Guernsey's top scorer, Allen, fired the ball in the bottom right, much to the delight of the visiting island's supporters.

Brownlie replaced the hard-working Stephens, and worked hard up front to make it difficult for the Guernsey defenders. His hard work nearly paid off as a misplaced back-pass to the goalkeeper fell in his path, but a fantastic recovery tackle from the goalkeeper brushed it passed Brownlie and the onrushing Jack Coventry.

Lee Allen saved the day, throwing himself at two shots in quick succession; the ball appeared destined for the back of the net, but with a combination of great defending and Allen's acrobatics, Hartley managed to keep Guernsey from extending their lead. It wasn't going to be Hartley's night...or was it?!

A diagonal ball fired in from man of the match Nathan Stamp, hung up in the air, and from within the melee a hand popped up and struck the ball - and that hand belonged to a green shirt. The ref blew for a free kick. Williams placed the ball, took a few short steps back, and like an arrow planted the ball in the bottom left corner. The Hartley players went crazy, and the relief was demonstrated by their celebration. It was incredibly deserved.

Overall, Hartley looked to be the better side, having created the better chances in the first half.

Full Time 2-2

Squad: Allen, Stamp, Bloxham, Patterson, Newcombe, Coventry, Thorne, Kingston (Dillon), Williams, Peltohaka (Bridges), Stephens (Brownlie)

Hartley Wintney won their opening day of the season in the last minute of the match, as they left Short Lane with all 3 points.

Combined Counties League Div 1, 6th August 2011
Report by Roving Joe
In a very close contested match, Staines Lammas lost their opening game of the season in the 93rd minute, when a last minute mistake let Hartley Wintney leave with all 3 points.

Hartley Wintney looked comfortable from the outset, with Staines bypassing their own midfield by playing the long ball from the back, which landed like a homing missile on the head of league debutant Daryl Bloxham. The central midfield combination of Williams, Thorne and the hard-working Kingston proved to be incredibly successful, and with the young Jack Coventry providing natural width as he was granted with a free role.

Staines never troubled commanding goalkeeper Lee Allen, who had very little to do all game. The well organised Staines side never looked liked scoring. However, what they lacked up front they certainly made up for in resilience and determination not to concede. Staines were incredibly difficult to break down, and a number of chances went narrowly wide. Jack Coventry and Dean Peltohaka each had an opportunity to put the visitors one up, however both were blocked by the impressive Staines keeper. The teams went in level on goals, but with Hartley certainly in the driving seat.

Half Time 0-0

In truth, Neville Roach's men should have been out of sight by the start of the second half but they could not make the most of their vastly superior possession. Hartley started as they finished, with a number of chances being created, but found it very difficult to find the final ball. With an incredibly strong bench, Hartley manager Neville Roach changed things around, bringing on Ben Dillon (for Dean Peltohaka) and Daniel Brownlie (for Jack Coventry) who was a threat down the right hand side. His changes brought almost instant dividends, with Hartley pouring forward following the substitutions. Brownlie's first touch was a whipped in ball for Dillon; frustratingly the ball flew agonisingly past the debutant striker.

Hartley held firm and continued to threaten to take the lead and suddenly looked like scoring. An impressive move down the right-hand side led to Ryan Stephens going through on goal, and once again the Staines keeper blocked with his legs. With time running out, Staines looked to be happy with the point and "shut up shop". Then, in the dying seconds of the game, a mistake coming from some hesitant Staines defending led to an opportunity as the home side were caught in possession just inside the box. Ryan Stephens landed the ball and was twice brought down in the box, but managed to stay on his feet and neatly finished with a goal from an incredibly tight angle.

The new back line looked impressive, with two equally gifted replacements available from the bench - last year's stalwart Ollie Bridges, and newly signed Luke Pearson. Along with the ever dependable Nathan Stamp, new signing, Andrew Newcombe looks a very rounded player.

The attitude of the players was fantastic, and the reaction when the goal was scored demonstrated the enthusiasm and effort that all the boys put in. A well deserved victory and an excellent start to the season. Also impressive was the quality of the players on the bench, with plenty of opportunities to change the dimensions of the team.

Squad: Allen, Newcombe, Bloxham, Patterson, Stamp, Thorne, Williams, Kingston, Coventry (Brownlie), Peltohaka (Dillon), Stephens.
Subs not used: Luke Pearson, Ollie Bridges

SQUAD : Aaron Carter - Marcus Watson - Alex Jupp - Kieron Fuller - Luke Pearson - James Jupp - Luke Fewtrell - Elliot Hobden - Josh Daniels - Ross Barnard - Ryan Warner.

SUB'S : Tom Slane - Rafa Barbosa - Lloyd Jones - Duncan Cleary - Paul Wade.

Our first game of the season and just as we all arrived at our ground we were met with a torrential down poor of rain which did not help with our pre- match warm up, Leighton got suck on the M25 and were running late so we had to a have a slightly late kick off which did not help us as we were all warmed up and ready to go, But sods law as we came out of the changing room the sun decided to come out and make it a very hot afternoon to play football in.

The game started at quite a good pace with both teams struggling to get control of the ball on what seemed to still be a very slippery surface after all the rain we had. At times we played some good football getting the ball into wide areas and looking quite dangerous in attack, I had 3 1st teamers playing to day Josh Daniels up front Luke Pearson centre back and Ryan Warner left wing they all played their part today and josh was very unlucky not to come away with a hit trick he had chances in both halfs but managed to get one of or goals. Unfortunately we came in at half time a goal down due to poor making from a corner. 

2nd half: We did not start very well and within 6 minutes we were 2 - 0 down, the midfield and defance were sitting to deep at times which did not help, after their 2nd goal we seemed to wake up and take the game to them Lloyd Jones came on at half time and this seemed to help the midfield to settle balls started to get played out wide to Luke and Ryan and more chances came our way and we managed to get our 1st goal well done Josh.

As often happens when searching for a way back into the came the opposition come up with another goal you can't explain. I made 2 more changes Duncan Cleary left back and Rafa Barbosa up front we upped the tempo again and it started to pay off we had them on the back foot and looked like scoring some good work from the midfield across the pitch paid off and Lloyd managed to get our 2nd goal but we just left it to late and ran out of time 2 - 3 final score, we just need to get some of the lads match fit. 

Next Game Tuesday Night Home V Franborough B - 7.30pm K.O