Revealed: who Gosport Borough and Hawks will face in second qualifying round of the FA Cup

Bracknell Town hosted Ipswich Town in last season's FA Cup first round tie. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images.Bracknell Town hosted Ipswich Town in last season's FA Cup first round tie. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images.
Bracknell Town hosted Ipswich Town in last season's FA Cup first round tie. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images.
Gosport Borough have been handed a tie against lower division opposition in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

But the draw hasn’t been so kind to Havant & Waterlooville.

Gosport’s reward for winning 7-2 at Wessex Premier outfit Laverstock & Ford last Friday is a home draw against Bristolians Cribbs.

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Cribbs, managed by former Alresford Town boss Rich Luffman, are playing at step 4 for the first time ever this term after winning last season’s Hellenic League title.

They won through to the second qualifying round, for the first time in the club’s history, by beating Gosport’s Southern League Premier South rivals Swindon Supermarine 2-1 away.

Among the Cribbs starting XI was defender Sonny Harnett-Balkwill, who was at US Portsmouth and Moneyfields prior to starting a university course in Bristol.

Cribbs conceded just 14 goals in 36 fixtures en route to topping the Hellenic League Premier table season.

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That astonishing record was, unsurprisingly, the best across the entire 10 tiers of the English football pyramid.

Cribbs only conceded four goals in 18 home matches - a figure that was equalled last month when Hamworthy won 4-3 there!

Luffman was in with a chance of winning the Wessex League in March 2020 when the pandemic struck.

His Alresford side were top of the Premier table at the time, and he quit his role when the FA revealed the season was being null and voided, meaning no promotion.

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Luffman had led Otterbourne to second place in the 2015/16 Hampshire League season. After the club then folded in the summer, he joined Alresford.

Hawks, exempt until the second qualifying round stage, have been handed a real banana skin tie.

Jamie Collins’ National League South strugglers must travel to Gosport’s Premier South rivals Bracknell Town.

Bracknell reached the first round proper last season, losing 3-0 at home to Ipswich Town in a game shown live on ITV.

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The non-leaguers held out for 66 minutes against a club who were playing four tiers above them in the pyramid at the time.

In addition to their cup run, Bracknell also finished runners-up in the Premier South last term, losing the subsequent play-off final at home to Truro.

That shattered their dream of back-to-back promotions, having won the Isthmian League Division 1 South Central title in 2021/22.

Bracknell have won three and lost three of their six league games in 2023/24.

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Losing all their away games, they pumped five past both Didcot and Swindon Supermarine at home as well as beating Hungerford 3-1.

For their part, Hawks are second bottom of the NLS after seven games, during which they have collected just four points.

AFC Portchester were due to travel to Premier South club Didcot Town in the first qualifying round last weekend.

But on Friday afternoon the game was postponed for what Diddy claimed were ‘unforeseen circumstances’.

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Neither club has since revealed exactly why the tie was called off. As and when it does take place, the winners will host Bristol Manor Farm.

Wessex League club AFC Stoneham, meanwhile, have arguably one of the best draws.

Their reward for a sensational victory over two tiers higher Basingstoke Town is a trip to renowned cup giant-killers Yeovil Town.

Stoneham came from 1-4 after 46 minutes to stun Basingstoke 5-4 at the weekend.

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Now they take on a Glovers side who are playing in the sixth tier this season for the first time since the late 1990s.

A decade ago, in 2013/14, Stoneham were finishing in the bottom half of the Hampshire Premier League while Yeovil were nine divisions higher in the Championship!

Second qualifying round ties are due to take place on Saturday, September 16. Winners will receive £3,375 from the prize pot, and losers £1,125.

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