FA Cup round-up: Green's dream keeps Nuneaton on path

ONE Diadora League club and two from the GM Vauxhall Conference are in the lucrative third round of the FA Cup and one Beazer Homes League side also went into the FA's black bag after forcing a draw at a Football League club.

If Sutton's win at Torquay took the pride of place, then Nuneaton Borough's brave fight-back at Bournemouth was handsome reward for their 2,500 travelling fans. When Alex Watson gave the home side the lead early in the second-half Dean Court settled back for a convincing exhibition of League supremacy. It never materialised and Peter Green's volley 11 minutes from time ensured Nuneaton's Cup run runneth over to a replay at Manor Park on Tuesday.

'You hardly dare dream about something like this,' Green, a Northampton tyre company foreman, said afterwards. 'The goal was a bit of a blur to me, but it's definitely the best moment I've ever enjoyed in soccer.'

Kidderminster Harriers and Bromsgrove Rovers of the Conference beat sides from their own league to progress further. Bromsgrove, runners- up to Wycombe in last season's GM Vauxhall Conference but struggling this term, were rewarded for their first round win at Northampton with an unpromising tie at Yeovil.

It was their sixth FA Cup match of the campaign but Bobby Hope's side started as though determined it would not be their last and swept into a winning, two-goal lead inside seven minutes through Paul Webb, a former Shrewsbury midfielder, and Colin Radburn.

Last Saturday, Kidderminster lost at Woking, a defeat which knocked them off the top of the Conference. But yesterday Richard Forsyth's 81st minute penalty gave Harriers sweet revenge at Aggborough.

Macclesfield, who beat Second division Hartlepool in the previous round, found Third division Crewe Alexandra rather trickier. Yet they settled quickly enough at Gresty Road, winning three early corners. But Sammy McIlroy's non- Leaguers, who had accounted for four League sides in the past seven years, fell behind to Neil Lennon's first goal of the season and John Askey put the tie beyond doubt shortly after the restart.

Two Third division sides, Wycombe and Chester, proved too hot for Second division opposition - Cambridge failing at Adams Park and Chester beating Hull. Halifax of the Conference were brusquely put in their place at Edgley Park where Third division leaders Stockport thrashed them 5-1. Despite a message of encouragement from Celtic manager Lou Macari, Stalybridge Celtic of the Conference, probably exhausted after Wednesday night's marathon against Marine which was decided on penalties, were no match for Third division Carlisle who won 3-1.

Cardiff must have known it was their day when Brentford's Shane Westley put them ahead with a 40th-minute own goal. City cruised on to win 3-1 and Burnley's unbeaten record at Turf Moor was evident in their 4-1 destruction of Rochdale. The game flared at the start of the second half when Dale had Andy Thackeray sent off followed two minutes later by Alex Jones and Burnley's Mark Monington, who were slugging it out. It somewhat took the gloss off David Eyres' hat-trick.

Kevin Nugent scored twice as Second Division Plymouth put out Gillingham, and the quickest Cup goal of the day by Preston's Paul Raynor was all the Third Division pacemakers needed to win at Shrewsbury.

Walsall and Leyton Orient both came from behind in their home ties to snatch replays against Scunthorpe and Exeter respectively. Mark Cooper's equaliser for Orient was his fourth goal in five matches since returning from injury.

Wigan booked their place when a spectacular 40-yard lob by Pat Gavin sailed over Mark Evans in the Scarborough goal. It had been Evans' poor clearance that set Gavin up in the first place. For the goalkeeper it was a Cup of woe indeed.