Havant & Waterlooville drawn at home in first round of FA Cup to non-league minnows Cray Valley Paper Mills

Tonight’s draw handed Paul Doswell’s side a home tie in the first round proper against minnows Cray Valley Paper Mills.

The Eltham-based Cray play in the Isthmian League South East division - two levels below the National League South.

Hawks can’t be complacent, though, as Cray humiliated three leagues higher Maidenhead in Saturday’s fourth qualifying round tie.

Kevin Watson’s men came from 2-0 down to stun their National League hosts at York Road with a last-gasp winner from Francis Babalola.

Ade Yusuff, who played for Dagenham in the EFL, started Cray’s comeback 33 seconds after they had conceded a second goal.

They levelled on the stroke of half-time with a brilliant header from Connor Dymond.

Keeper Joe Docherty – only playing due to an injury to regular No 1 Andy Walker – became Cray’s hero with seven minutes left when he dived to his left to turn away Sam Barratt’s penalty.

It looked like the tie was heading to penalties but, as the game went into stoppage time, Yusuff crossed from the right and Babalola converted.

Cray have already won through five qualifying rounds to reach the first round proper, having entered at the preliminary qualifying round stage.

As well as winning at Maidenhead, they also romped to a stunning 5-1 second qualifying round win at Gosport Borough’s Southern Premier League South rivals Walton Casuals.

Cray are enjoying their best-ever FA Cup run by some distance. In only their eighth season in the competition, the furthest they had previously reached was the second qualifying round.

They have also reached a major Wembley final in recent times - losing to Chertsey in the 2018/19 FA Vase final.

The club won the Southern Counties East Premier title the same season, and last season they lay third in the Isthmian South East when life went into lockdown.

When the campaign was halted, they were five points adrift of leaders Hastings United with both clubs having 10 games left.

They are currently 15th out of 19 teams, but due to their FA Cup run have only played four games - fewer than anyone else in the division.

As for Hawks, they will be playing in the first round proper for the eighth time since forming 22 years ago.

They have only progressed beyond that stage once - in 2007/08 when they famously reached the fourth round proper.

It will be the third time in four rounds that Hawks have faced lower division opponents in this season’s competition.

They defeated Isthmian Premier outfit Horsham 2-1 in the second qualifying round before beating three divisions lower Chatham 4-1.

Doswell’s men booked their first round place with a stunning 3-0 victory at NL South rivals Bath City at the weekend.

The club have already banked £18,365 in prize money this term, and they will receive another £22,629 if they can beat Cray in a tie which takes place over the weekend of November 7-8.

After winning at Bath, Doswell said his first choice draw would be a home tie against an EFL giant such as Pompey, Ipswich or Sunderland.

That’s because such a glamour occasion would give Hawks a £150,000 payday if it was chosen for live television coverage.

If that wasn’t possible, he wanted a home tie against a lower division club.

That is exactly the draw the footballing Gods have delivered.

Skelmersdale United, the lowest-ranked team left in this season’s FA Cup, will travel to Football League new boys Harrogate Town in the first round next month.

The North West Counties League Premier Division side won 4-1 at Stafford Rangers to reach this stage of the competition for the first time since 1971.

Former winners Ipswich and Portsmouth will clash at Portman Road in the highest-profile of the 40 first round ties.

Ipswich won the competition under Bobby Robson in 1978, while Pompey were victorious in 1939 and as recently as 2008.

National League North side Chorley face a journey of just eight miles to take on Lancashire neighbours Wigan, who shocked Manchester City to win the 2013 final.

Two more former winners face long trips to face sides from the National League South.

Blackpool, winners of the famous ‘Matthews Final’ in 1953, travel to Eastbourne Borough, while 1911 winners Bradford go to Tonbridge Angels.

Current coronavirus regulations mean all the first round games will be played behind closed doors.