5 sides who shone in Emirates FA Cup First Round
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The First Round Proper of the Emirates FA Cup provided its fair share of excitement last weekend, with a mammoth haul of 129 goals in 39 games – and as always, there were several Non-League sides upsetting the odds and one or two imperious hammerings.
So, without further ado, here are Ladbrokes News’ fantastic five from an action-packed weekend.
Wycombe Wanderers
Gareth Ainsworth’s Chairboys have endured a difficult time in League Two this season, but the Buckinghamshire outfit put those struggles aside as they chalked up a deserved 2-1 triumph at Portsmouth.
The scoreline could have been more comfortable, with the visitors producing a raft of chances. Paris Cowan-Hall showcased his talent with an instinctive opener and great creative work, while the Wycombe backline kept Pompey quiet throughout. On this form, you shouldn’t bet against them reaching the promised land of the Third Round.
Macclesfield Town
The Silkmen produced some suitably silky skills for their winner at Walsall, as John McCombe headed home deftly from Danny Whitaker’s inch-perfect free-kick.
At the other end, former Whitehawk stopper Craig Ross pulled off a string of superb saves to chalk up his sixth clean sheet of an impressive campaign, as Macc knocked out Football League opposition for the fourth time in as many seasons.
Braintree Town
The Iron beating a side in the division below them certainly wasn’t a shock in itself, but the manner of the Essex outfit’s victory over a talented Eastbourne Borough side will have delighted boss Hakan Hayrettin.
Five different players got their name on the scoresheet for Braintree, with former Wolves star George Elokobi chalking up the first brace of his 14-year professional career. Nobody will fancy a trip to Cressing Road in the next round…
Westfields
Fields manager Sean Edwards was in confident mood when he spoke to Ladbrokes News ahead of their First Round clash with Curzon Ashton, telling us how the club “recruited well and improved in some key areas” over the summer.
That optimism was reflected by the way the Midland Premier Division club went about their task against relative giants Curzon Ashton, with Craig Jones netting coolly from the spot within nine minutes. It ended 1-1, and the lowest-ranked side ahead of this round are still in the hat.
Boreham Wood
The Ladbrokes News team were back on the #VardyVerdict trail at a rain-soaked Meadow Park, as our one-to-watch Morgan Ferrier netted a superb opener in a 2-2 thriller between the Wood and League Two outfit Notts County.
Luke Garrard’s charges rose to the occasion in the club’s biggest ever game, taking a deserved 2-0 lead before Adam Campbell saved the visitors’ bacon with a smart double. Expect another hard-fought contest in the return game at Meadow Lane.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
