Football:Boston glee party

FA Cup round-up

There were few surprises in the first round proper of the FA Cup. Whenever a non-league side had a Second or Third Division club on the ropes, there was no Evander Holyfield-style giantkiller to do the necessary.

All of the non-league sides who are definitely through - Unibond League Premier club Boston United, Hednesford, of the GM Vauxhall Conference, St Albans and Enfield, both of the Icis Premier, beat other non- leaguers. Colwyn Bay (UniBond), Farnborough and Northwich (both Conference) and Cheltenham (Dr Martens Premier) all drew with League sides and deserve another bite.

Farnborough, in particular, will be despairing after they had Third Division Barnet trailing 2-0. Then, with only 24 minutes remaining, the Bees had Jamie Campbell sent off. But it was time enough for Sean Devine to score twice and force a rematch.

Ashford (Dr Martens Premier) drew with Dagenham & Redbridge (Icis Premier); Boreham Wood (also Icis Premier) finished level with Rushden Diamonds (Conference) and GM Vauxhall clubs Stevenage and Hayes were all square and all in yesterday evening's draw.

Merthyr Tydfil (Dr Martens) had put themselves into pole position by scoring first at the struggling Third Division club Leyton Orient. But two late goals snuffed out Welsh dreams.

Exeter City of the lower Third put out Bristol Rovers, in a middle-table spot a division above, thanks to goals by Darren Rowbotham and Stephen Flack.

FA CUP second-round draw: Northwich Victoria or Walsall v Burnley; Blackpool v Hednesford Town; Chesterfield v Shrewsbury or Scarborough; Whitby Town or Hull v Crewe; Colwyn Bay or Wrexham v Scunthorpe; Mansfield v Stockport; Newcastle Town or Notts County v Rochdale; Carlisle v Darlington; Chester v Boston United; Preston v Hartlepool or York; Leyton Orient v Stevenage Borough or Hayes; Northampton or Watford v Ashford Town or Dagenham & Redbridge; Cambridge United v Woking or Millwall; Sudbury Town or Brighton v Brentford; Luton Town v Boreham Wood or Rushden & Diamonds; Enfield v Peterborough or Cheltenham Town; Plymouth v Exeter; Farnborough or Barnet v Wycombe; Cardiff City v Gillingham; Swansea City or Bristol City v St Albans.

Ties to be played in the week ending 6-8 December.