Peter Bentley Cup Second Round action as we played our first ever fixture against AFC Walcountians who arrived top of Division 1 with three wins out of three. They needed a penalty shoot-out to beat Reigate Priory in the First Round as well as in the FA Vase against fellow Division 1 side Westfield. In the second minute a Jason Stripp free kick from the right found the head of Oliver Thompson in the box but he could not keep the header down. It was Stripp again setting Reon Donkor off down the right and then sending it into the box for William English but he was flagged offside. On eleven minutes Donkor was in on goal but his shot was saved but English was in on the rebound only to be tackled. The loose ball came to Kwesi Ntim but his shot hit a Walcountians player and they then cleared their lines. Two minutes later Donkor kept the pressure up on the visitors battling to keep the ball in the centre and slip it to English but the ball was under his feet so his shot lacked power. On the quarter hour Ntim worked space in the centre for a shot but it was over the bar. Donkor had another chance a couple of minutes later as he was onto a loose ball, held off a challenge but the ball then ran away from him.

After so much pressure we were still looking for that opening goal while dealing comfortably with the visiting side. On 21mins our top scorer Ntim was on the end of a cross but headed over. A minute shy of the half hour and Stripp delivered a free kick from the left across to Ntim on the right for a shot that hit the foot of the right post. On 34mins the ball was played from Ntim on the right to Donkor on the left for a shot that stung the keeper's palms with the loose ball dropping just too far from English. Inside the last ten minutes and Alex Kpakpe sent the ball out to Ntim on the right, he beat his covering defender and fired a shot across the goal that was just wide of the left post. Five minutes to play and Kpakpe won the ball in midfield and played the ball out to Donkor on the left for a shot that fizzed just over the bar. With the break looming, a ball from the right to Ntim by Donkor saw him take it onto his left foot for a shot that beat the keeper and it was finally 1-0 on 43mins. There was still time for Donkor to take the ball forward on the left and fire a shot that the keeper saved at the foot of the right post.

A change at the break saw English replaced by Yusuf McGregor. Kristian Belousas tried to set Ntim clear in the opening minutes but there was never a chance for shot. New starter Thompson defended well in the centre of the box and to stop Walcountians and clear. On 52mins a great ball by Ntim to Donkor saw him finish in style and double our lead. Two minutes later Ntim was in on goal but curled his shot just past the right post. And from nearly adding to our lead, Walcountians were on the break on the right wing, driving to the byline to cross into the six yard box. After blocking the cross, the loose ball was not cleared and Walcountians drove it home to make it 2-1. Not for the first time this season, from being comfortably ahead we became nervy as on the hour a Walcountians free kick from the right was cleared. Trying to extend our lead again a minute later, Stripp won the ball and played it down the left to Ntim. He cut into the box looking to shoot but his shot was blocked.

The visitors were growing in confidence following a couple of changes at half time and a break down the left required Guyni Nganga to clear their cross into the box. Another long ball towards our box needed Stephen Hodge to challenge their forward. Having won the ball he was pushed to the ground but a corner was given not a foul. From the corner the ball was not cleared and Walcountians were able to lash it home to equalise on 64mins. The lads needed to lift their game to counter the reinvigorated visitors and on 69mins Nganga won a tackle on the touchline and sent the ball forward to McGregor. He hit the byline and crossed but it was cleared. Two minutes later and Donkor drove into their box on the right and see his shot deflected for a corner. The corner fell to a couple of our players but Walcountians blocked their shots well and then cleared the ball. Approaching the final quarter hour, Jordan Bartley did a good job of defending on our right to win the ball and a foul. Fifteen minutes to settle the match and Belousas and Bartley were replaced by Jack McDonnell and Gabriel Odunaike.

From a corner on 78mins we had a shot blocked and then a follow up from Ntim was saved. Into the last ten minutes and good pressure around the visitor's box by Nganga and McGregor was just not finding a space for a shot at goal as Walcountians defended well. A free kick from Stripp on the right caused a scramble in the box and then the loose ball would not sit for a shot before a looped ball in was headed away from Odunaike. Five minutes to go and McGregor took the ball on the left and cut in for a shot that was straight at the keeper. At the other end, Walcountians had two good openings but on each occasion McDonnell was in place to block. Penultimate minute of normal time and McGregor was into the box on the left and fired a shot into the side netting when a shot was not the best option. Into the final minute and Donkor received the ball and was driving towards the box when their keeper came out and lunged in. He caught Donkor and not the ball so the question was where did it happen – inside the box for a penalty and yellow card or outside and a red card. It was outside and the keeper was off with penalties looming if we did not score from the free kick. Ntim curled the free kick around the right side of the wall and the new keeper saved for a penalty shoot-out.

AFC Walcountians had needed penalties to beat Reigate Priory in the previous round as well as in the FA Vase on Saturday and had scored five out of five in each. Getting to go first their record ended as Sang Baek saved their captain and stand-in keeper's kick. Kpakpe slotted home and then Baek saved again. Ntim had the keeper beaten but his kick hit the outside of the post to keep Walcountians in with a chance. Baek got a hand on the next kick but it was 2-1 as Nganga buried his kick. Kick No. 4 gave Baek no chance and Donkor made no mistake with his kick. The pressure was on and needing to score to stay in Walcountians hit the post with their final kick and we won the shoot out 3-2.

We made it hard for ourselves by not being out of sight with all the chances we created in the first half. AFC Walcountians responded well in the second half and made it a bit nervy once they equalised. Their shoot-out form deserted them as they missed their opening two kicks and we progress in the cup for the first time since the 2022-23 with a visit to Midhurst & Easebourne in Round 3. No let up for the lads as a trip to Haywards Heath Town on Saturday is followed by hosting Guernsey on Wednesday, both sides that are expected to be pushing for promotion again this season.