UPDATES

Championship
Derby County 1 Southampton 1

League Two
Notts County 2 Oldham Athletic 0

FA Trophy
Basford United 0 Alvechurch 0
Evesham United 0 Ilkeston Town 2
Harborough Town 1 Hednesford Town 0

National League North
Buxton 1 Darlington 0
Radcliffe 2,Alfreton Town 0
Workop Town 0 Bedford Town 1

Northern Premier League Midlands Division One
Bourne Town 1 Shepshed Dynamo 2
Carlton Town 2 St Neots Town 1
Coleshill Town 1 Mickleover 0
Long Eaton United 0 RC Warwick 0

United Counties League Premier Division North
Hucknall Town 1 Heanor Town 2

Stevens gets a yellow for a very late tackle.  Lucky to get yellow.  Strong start by Evesham.  Great punch clear by Roberts in the swirling wind.  
​Big chance for Evesham  but it's gone wide.      still 2-0  55 mins

Ilkeston corner       Played by to thorn hill but his shot goes wide.   Great save by Roberts at one on one.  
Eve 0 Ilkeston 2.     64 mins

Good defending by Minkley. then by Daniel. Evesham in ascendancy just now.  Blaise goes down in area - nothing given. Then Evesham want a pen. sorry no chance,     still 2-0      70 mins

Kirby-Moore   is man handled again.   Essien booked for a foul.  Thornhill is superb today.      2-0.   79 mins

Great defending by Essien.    Evesham effort goes wide.  It's back in Roberts's hands.  Dunbar wins a corner for Evesham.  We get it away. Great chance for Stevens to settle it but it goes wide.     2-0.    90 mins

Really good result well done everyone . Safe journey home to all.

If the FA Trophy is still regional these are the teams I believe Ilkeston Town may face in the next round

Hyde United
Clitheroe 
Dunston 
Stockton Town
Bamber Bridge
Guiseley
Hebburn Town
Ilkeston Town
Gainsborough Trinity
Bromsgrove Sporting
Stratford Town
Spalding United
Anstey Nomads
Corby Town
Real Bedford
AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Leek Town
St Ives Town
Alvechurch 
Harborough Town 
Redditch United
Stanway Rovers
Welling United
Hanwell Town
Runcorn Linnets or Morpeth Town
Workington or F.C. United of Manchester
Silsden  or Stocksbridge Park Steels
Prescot Cables or Lancaster City

Who would you wish to play? Revenge against Spalding might be nice!

plymrob wrote:

What's all this 2-0 reporting...?... A quick scan of the posts and thought we'd lost... I was about to callout 'silverfox' for calling it right... but, happily, (for us all) it was just me!  And Cheltenham won too - with the return of our Cheltenham born ex manager from the late 1990s / early 2000s. What a day!

Yes - Even Derby got yet another draw.

Not going to say anything about Grimsby town last week. (They are my 2nd team because of family living near to Grimsby)

Did you enjoy your can of 7up?

Last edited by Alex (04/10/2025 6:13 PM)

plymrob wrote:

What's all this 2-0 reporting...?... A quick scan of the posts and thought we'd lost... .

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

Okay plymrob;  from now on score updates will be home team first and away team second. 




 

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Sat 4th October 2025
FA Trophy -3rd qualifying round
Evesham United 0 Ilkeston Town 2
Goals by Jordan Stevens and Seth Okyere were enough to take Ilkeston into the FA Trophy 1st round proper. Okyere’s goal was a belter into the roof of the net from 30 yards out and a two goal first half lead was the least Ilkeston deserved with the blustery wind in their favour. Matt Thornhill and Sam Essien were outstanding in an all-round good team performance. 

Ilkeston started the better but the first chance fell to Evesham’s Kai Churchley who saw his effort pushed over the bar by Alfie Roberts. There was then a double chance for Ilkeston’s Robbie Fox. His first effort was parried by Alex Harris and his follow up was deflected into the side netting. On 13 minutes Ilkeston were ahead. Essien won the ball and sent Jordan Stevens away down the left. Stevens made ground before firing past Harris and into the bottom corner. Evesham nearly levelled on 25 minutes when a thumping header by Levi Steele brought a superb reaction save by Roberts. On 30 minutes it was 2-0 with an absolute stunner from Okyere after Matt Thornhill’s original effort was blocked. 

Evesham came out fighting for the second half and Roberts did well to punch clear from a cross held up by the swirling wind as Evesham tried to pull a goal back. Roberts was soon in action again with another good stop but Ilkeston were threatening on the counter. Okyere sent Harvey Kirby-Moore clear but a late offside flag came to the hosts’ rescue. Evesham had a real chance on 81 minutes but were denied by Roberts’s magnificent double save. Stevens had a chance to settle the outcome when he intercepted a pass by Evesham keeper Harris but his effort bounced agonisingly wide. A Jackson Blaize effort was deflected wide in added time as Ilkeston saw out the finally minutes without any scares.    

 

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Sides across the Northern Premier League braved Storm Amy to partake in FA Trophy action on Saturday, with 13 NPL representatives progressing to the first round proper.
The highest NPL representative in action was Stockton Town, and they made no mistake against the NPL West Division leaders Lower Breck, winning 2-0 at the MAP Group UK Stadium. A Michael Sweet brace either side of half-time made sure Michael Dunwell’s side didn’t fall to Step 4 opposition for the second time in cup competition this season. 
Gainsborough Trinity also progressed against NPL West opposition, but Shifnal Town gave a good account of themselves, coming back from 2-0 down to level with two goals in the space of three second-half minutes. Despite this, Jakub Kryzsenski’s strike five minutes from time proved enough for the Holy Blues to head through to the next round. 
Hednesford Town and Warrington Rylands, two of the other sides in the NPL Premier Division’s top five, weren’t able to progress. Dunston continued their strong cup showings against Step 3 sides with a 2-1 win over Neil Reynolds’ Rylands, whilst Hednesford fell away to Southern Premier League Central Division leaders Harborough Town. 
Dunston were one of seven Step 4 sides to make it through to the first round.  Like Jon McDonald’s men, Clitheroe did so by knocking out Premier Division opponents, leaving Hurst Cross with a 2-1 win over Ashton United. 
Meanwhile, four sides from the Midlands division progressed.  Corby Town were the pick of the bunch, as they prevailed on penalties after a 2-2 draw with last season’s Midlands champions Quorn. The high-flying Step 4 outfit were the only NPL side to win via penalties in the third qualifying round, with three sides falling on spot-kicks. 
That included Premier Division side Cleethorpes Town, after nothing separated them and Redditch United after 90 minutes. 
Elsewhere, the all-NPL Premier Division ties of the round were won by Hyde United and Hebburn Town. The beginning of the permanent Martin Coyne era began impeccably for Hyde as Jack Redshaw’s strike was the difference between the Tigers and struggling Warrington Town. 
And goals from Joao Gomes and Liam Murray ensured a second win at Whitby Town this season for Hebburn, with Daniel Moore’s side running out 2-1 winners. 
Elsewhere, Ilkeston Town’s fine league form carried over into cup action as goals in the first half from Jordan Stevens and Seth Okyere secured a 2-0 win over Evesham United. 
Leek Town, Guiseley and Bradford (Park Avenue) round out the NPL sides confirmed to be in the first round proper, after victories over Halesowen Town, Bridlington Town and Heaton Stannington respectively. 
At least four more NPL representatives will join them in the next stage of the competition. Three matches were postponed due to Storm Amy, and Runcorn Linnets will now face Morpeth Town in the third qualifying round after a resounding 7-0 win over Bury in their second qualifying round clash over the weekend.  

The draw for the first round proper will be made on Monday. Step 2 sides don’t enter the competition until the second round, while National League sides don’t enter the fray until the third round. 

Results - FA Trophy second qualifying round

• RUNCORN LINNETS 7-0 BURY 

• AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 3-1 Malvern Town
• ANSTEY NOMADS 3-2 Stourbridge
• ASHTON UNITED 1-2 CLITHEROE
• BASFORD UNITED 0-0 Alvechurch (Alvechurch win 5-4 on penalties)
• BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) 2-1 HEATON STANNINGTON
• BRIDLINGTON TOWN 2-4 GUISELEY
• CLEETHORPES TOWN 0-0 Redditch United (Redditch United win 5-4 on penalties)
• DUNSTON 2-1 WARRINGTON RYLANDS
• Evesham United 0-2 ILKESTON TOWN
• GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 3-2 SHIFNAL TOWN
• Halesowen Town 1-2 LEEK TOWN
• Harborough Town 2-0 HEDNESFORD TOWN
• HYDE UNITED 1-0 WARRINGTON TOWN
• PRESCOT CABLES P-P LANCASTER CITY
• Quorn 2-2 CORBY TOWN (Corby Town win 5-3 on penalties)
• RUSHALL OLYMPIC 0-2 Spalding United
• SILSDEN P-P STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS
• STOCKTON TOWN 2-0 LOWER BRECK
• WHITBY TOWN 1-2 HEBBURN TOWN
• Worcester City 2-2 RUGBY TOWN (Worcester City win 3-0 on penalties)
• WORKINGTON P-P FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER

Quite good, balanced, highlights from an Evesham fan. Replays of the Okyere goal (it actually looks like he's trying to place the ball rather than just blast it), and lots of shots and praise for the Ilson fans.

https://youtu.be/ITSW69ONktQ?si=CuXUxMRd7CbstT2h