It's been almost six years since my last visit to Lowther Road. So, a Friday evening FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game on a summer's evening was too much to resist. The last time I made the trip Wokingham and Emmbrook, as they were briefly known, were taking Chipping Sodbury Town in the FA Vase. Something of a homecoming for The Town's Team, who were playing in a FA competition back in Wokingham for the first time in 20 years (Satsumas Vase Homecoming Bears Fruit). Arriving at the ground with 45 minutes to spare the car park looked to be almost full and Lowther Road was also already quite busy with cars parking up for the game. It looked like a big crowd would be turning out. A walk around the ground revealed that there was also a fair contingent in red, having made the journey across the M4 from Brislington, this evening's visitors.
Neither side has a particularly glorious FA Cup history. Brislington's best run came in the 2013-14 season where they reached the fourth qualifying round, beating some big names in Weston-Super-Mare and Truro City on the way, before going down 1-0 at home to Welling United. Wokingham have gone one better, reaching Round One in the 1982-83 campaign as an Isthmian Premier team, eventually going out 3-0 in a replay at Cardiff City after holding their Football League opponents to a 1-1 draw at home. Both teams went out at this stage of the competition last season.
Their current league campaigns have started very differently. Whilst Wokingham won their opening encounter, 5-1 away at Holyport, Brislington have already played two league games, losing both. An opening day 1-0 defeat at Street was followed by a 2-0 home reversal to Clevedon Town.
Neither side has a particularly glorious FA Cup history. Brislington's best run came in the 2013-14 season where they reached the fourth qualifying round, beating some big names in Weston-Super-Mare and Truro City on the way, before going down 1-0 at home to Welling United. Wokingham have gone one better, reaching Round One in the 1982-83 campaign as an Isthmian Premier team, eventually going out 3-0 in a replay at Cardiff City after holding their Football League opponents to a 1-1 draw at home. Both teams went out at this stage of the competition last season.
Their current league campaigns have started very differently. Whilst Wokingham won their opening encounter, 5-1 away at Holyport, Brislington have already played two league games, losing both. An opening day 1-0 defeat at Street was followed by a 2-0 home reversal to Clevedon Town.
Sumas attacking Backed by a vociferous junior section, Sumas got off to almost the perfect start. Only three minutes had passed when a free-kick was lofted into the Brislington area. The ball was headed down into the path of Ty Moorcroft who took a touch before firing low past Schofield. 1-0. Not quite the first goal of the 2025-26 FA Cup. That honour went to Pickering Town's captain, Connor Avison, who scored the opener at 7:56pm, four minutes before Wokingham kicked off and 7 minutes earlier than Moorcroft's goal. Avison's goal could be the earliest date/time that a goal has been scored in the competition (statistic courtesy of the brilliant @facupfactfile).
The home side continued to dominate the ball and had several more half-chances before, on 18 minutes, being caught absolutely cold. Brislington had not threatened at all until a ball forward was only half-cleared to the edge of the box. Alfie Clarke responded quickest, getting to the ball marginally before a defender and absolutely lashing a strike beyond the outstretched fingers of Emilio Fantocchio in the Sumas goal. 1-1.
The goal seemed to deflate the home side's enthusiasm, but did little to boost Brislington, who still struggled to make any inroads. The game fell into a lull in proceedings, with neither side looking particularly fluid.
That lull was broken just past the half-hour mark when Moorcroft was again presented with an opportunity of the right-hand side of the box. Once again the striker made no mistake, striking the ball low and hard past Schofield to give Wokingham a 2-1 advantage.
HT Wokingham Town 2 Brislington 1. A deserved half-time lead for Wokingham, who had created a number of chances and could easily have been further in front. Brislington after creating next to nothing in terms of goalscoring opportunities, somehow managed to score the best goal of the half and were still well in the game.
The home side continued to dominate the ball and had several more half-chances before, on 18 minutes, being caught absolutely cold. Brislington had not threatened at all until a ball forward was only half-cleared to the edge of the box. Alfie Clarke responded quickest, getting to the ball marginally before a defender and absolutely lashing a strike beyond the outstretched fingers of Emilio Fantocchio in the Sumas goal. 1-1.
The goal seemed to deflate the home side's enthusiasm, but did little to boost Brislington, who still struggled to make any inroads. The game fell into a lull in proceedings, with neither side looking particularly fluid.
That lull was broken just past the half-hour mark when Moorcroft was again presented with an opportunity of the right-hand side of the box. Once again the striker made no mistake, striking the ball low and hard past Schofield to give Wokingham a 2-1 advantage.
HT Wokingham Town 2 Brislington 1. A deserved half-time lead for Wokingham, who had created a number of chances and could easily have been further in front. Brislington after creating next to nothing in terms of goalscoring opportunities, somehow managed to score the best goal of the half and were still well in the game.
Looking for a late winner Brislington were back out well in advance of the restart, as were the officials. However, there was no sign of Wokingham until well past the hour. A bit of gamesmanship to wind up their opponents?
The game continued in much the same way, with the exception that Brislington were now seeing more of the ball but still not making too many chances.
It was becoming something of a war of attrition. Brislington had upped their game and were now restricting Wokingham's chances much better than in the first half. During the first period there had been a couple of small off the ball niggles which, as the game progressed, were beginning to become a little more pronounced. Players from both sides were leaving something on their opponent and a couple of times it threatened to boil over and led to a number of free-kicks.
One such incident, in the 67th minute, resulted in a free-kick to Brislington some 45 yards out on the left-hand flank. Jayden Radway sent the ball deep into the home penalty area where Oaklan Buck managed to get in a glancing header that appeared to take an age to creep in at the far post. 2-2.
Seven minutes later the visitors thought they had gone in front for the first time but celebrations were halted by the assistant's flag.
The game appeared to be drifting toward a stalemate. Tempers flared a couple of times more and even the benches got involved at one point, but it was beginning to look as if hostilities may have to be resumed in midweek at Ironmould Lane. That was until the 89th minute when, after a period of home pressure the ball found it's way to captain Sean Moore inside the left-hand side of the Brislington box. He struck the ball low and hard, giving Schofield little chance and sending the home support into raptures. 3-2.
Despite a fair few added minutes, there was still not enough time for Brislington to respond, leaving Wokingham to celebrate and prepare for the weekend of more festivities as they mark their 150th anniversary with a Party on the Pitch and some celebrity guests.
FT Wokingham Town 3 Brislington 2. Overall, despite an improved Brislington performance in the second half, Wokingham deserved to progress. They probably should have been out of sight by half-time, but contrived to make life more difficult by not killing the game off when on top.
If you want to catch either team in action they both have league games coming up in the next week. Wokingham make the trip to Slough Town's Arbour Park on Tuesday evening as they take on Virginia Water in a Combined Counties Premier North clash. Then, on Saturday, they are away again, facing Amersham Town at Spratleys Meadow. Meanwhile, Brislington have the week to recover before they welcome Sidmouth Town to Ironmould Lane, with both sides looking for their first points.
Wokingham Town: Fantocchio, Hamblin, Richardson, Harris, Green Hayworth, Martin, Jordan, Moore(c), Mills-Chandler, Moorcroft. Subs: Port, Badshah, Mullan, Miller, Forster, Wint, Hybert
Brislington: Schofield, Withey(c), Clarke, Weaver, Ames,, Fraser, Malpas, Radway, Jones, Buck, Saunders. Subs: Kington, Evans, Williams, Wiltshire, McLeary
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance: £10.00
Programme: £1.00
The game continued in much the same way, with the exception that Brislington were now seeing more of the ball but still not making too many chances.
It was becoming something of a war of attrition. Brislington had upped their game and were now restricting Wokingham's chances much better than in the first half. During the first period there had been a couple of small off the ball niggles which, as the game progressed, were beginning to become a little more pronounced. Players from both sides were leaving something on their opponent and a couple of times it threatened to boil over and led to a number of free-kicks.
One such incident, in the 67th minute, resulted in a free-kick to Brislington some 45 yards out on the left-hand flank. Jayden Radway sent the ball deep into the home penalty area where Oaklan Buck managed to get in a glancing header that appeared to take an age to creep in at the far post. 2-2.
Seven minutes later the visitors thought they had gone in front for the first time but celebrations were halted by the assistant's flag.
The game appeared to be drifting toward a stalemate. Tempers flared a couple of times more and even the benches got involved at one point, but it was beginning to look as if hostilities may have to be resumed in midweek at Ironmould Lane. That was until the 89th minute when, after a period of home pressure the ball found it's way to captain Sean Moore inside the left-hand side of the Brislington box. He struck the ball low and hard, giving Schofield little chance and sending the home support into raptures. 3-2.
Despite a fair few added minutes, there was still not enough time for Brislington to respond, leaving Wokingham to celebrate and prepare for the weekend of more festivities as they mark their 150th anniversary with a Party on the Pitch and some celebrity guests.
FT Wokingham Town 3 Brislington 2. Overall, despite an improved Brislington performance in the second half, Wokingham deserved to progress. They probably should have been out of sight by half-time, but contrived to make life more difficult by not killing the game off when on top.
If you want to catch either team in action they both have league games coming up in the next week. Wokingham make the trip to Slough Town's Arbour Park on Tuesday evening as they take on Virginia Water in a Combined Counties Premier North clash. Then, on Saturday, they are away again, facing Amersham Town at Spratleys Meadow. Meanwhile, Brislington have the week to recover before they welcome Sidmouth Town to Ironmould Lane, with both sides looking for their first points.
Wokingham Town: Fantocchio, Hamblin, Richardson, Harris, Green Hayworth, Martin, Jordan, Moore(c), Mills-Chandler, Moorcroft. Subs: Port, Badshah, Mullan, Miller, Forster, Wint, Hybert
Brislington: Schofield, Withey(c), Clarke, Weaver, Ames,, Fraser, Malpas, Radway, Jones, Buck, Saunders. Subs: Kington, Evans, Williams, Wiltshire, McLeary
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance: £10.00
Programme: £1.00
Brislington free-kick comes to nothing
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