So that was the week that was when the dreams of three of our club’s were realised (to a fashion) and they reached the First Round of the FA Cup.  But whilst Welling United and Folkestone Invicta dream of trips next weekend to league opposition, Ramsgate are just dreaming of playing in the First Round even though they’re “only” off to the Midlands to face Nuneaton.  But they’ll do so suitably refreshed as they don’t have a game tomorrow – what’s the betting that Jimmy Ward will be in the crowd at Manor Park, Nuneaton to see their Cup opponents play Stalybridge Celtic. Meanwhile, back in the Ryman First Division, Tony Dolby’s Tonbridge side will be looking to consolidate their top spot when they travel to face mid table Leatherhead.  It’ll be another tough game for the Angels coming hot on the heels of Tuesday’s stalemate in the top of the table all Kent clash at Crabble.  I’m sure Dolby will have been delighted to leave Dover with his side’s unbeaten record in tact, and with his side not established as the early season pacesetters, the manager will know that their great start will again come under intense pressure in Surrey.  That said with two home games coming up in the next week, Dolby will be the first to acknowledge that if his side can get something this weekend, they should really be set up going into what could be a vital four days at Longmead! Back at Crabble, Clive Walker will be scrutinising his Dover walking wounded before they face Lymington and New Milton.  Already having beaten the New Forest side in the FA Cup back in August (goals from Craig Wilkins and Walid Matata gave the Whites a 2-0 win), Dover must start firm favourites against their mid table opposition to keep up the pressure on the Angels and Horsham – who went second on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over free falling Cray Wanderers.  The manager (who celebrated his birthday on Monday) must be hoping that more of his walking wounded are able to return, and with another decent gate expected (Tuesday’s attendance was the second at Crabble this season to top 1,000) have things finally bottomed out for the Whites faithful after the freefall that has taken them from the Conference to Ryman One in successive seasons?  Walker for one will be praying that they have… Ian Jenkins is another one praying at the moment as well I’d expect!  Why?  Well apart from Cup ties (weren’t they gallant going out to Conference leaders Grays in the Cup last week) Cray Wanderer’s last league win was on September 3rd (a one nil win against Walton Casuals) – they’ve lost their last six League games after winning their first four!  So what’s gone wrong?  That, dear reader, is the question that Jenkins and his number 2 Joe Francis, have to answer and quickly as their side haven’t so much slipped down the League but plummeted!  After topping the table at the end of August, they’re now just a handful of points out of the danger zone, and tomorrow have another tough looking game when they travel to Surrey to play Whyteleafe.  What Jenkins wouldn’t give for his side to turn one of those excellent Cup wins into three League points?    Burgess Hill Town travel to Homelands to face Ashford in a game that Tim Thorogood’s side would dearly love to get three points from as for a change, their visitors are in a worse position than the Nuts and Bolts…  Ashford though are on a bit of run in front of their own fans at the moment though as its just one defeat in their last four at home and so maybe just maybe Homelands is beginning to become the hard place for visiting sides to go to that it once was!  It would be such a huge fillip for Ashford if they can get the three points tomorrow and it would also help immensely as four of their next six fixtures are away from home! Another side very happy to get home this weekend are Gravesend and Northfleet. Following two disastrous road trips (two poor defeats at Tamworth and Kettering) have again stopped Liam Daish’s side’s season in its tracks and the manager will be looking to his more experienced players to pull things round as Stevenage Borough come to Stonebridge Road.  Daish will be hoping that influential midfielder Bobby Bowry will be fit to return after missing the last two, and its no coincidence that Bowry’s absence has been mirrored by arguably the Fleets worst two performances of the season.  And with club captain Steve McKimm still some way off full fitness, and with Jay Saunders and Scott Gooding both suspended following red cards in the Cup nightmare seven days ago, the Fleet need all the help that they can get!  With Stevenage (last years beaten Play Off finalists remember) currently hovering around the Play Off places again, it’ll be another tough afternoon for the Fleet that’s for sure! Down in Division One East of the Southern League, it’s been a… well; woeful week is probably being polite.  Of the five matches played since I last spoke to you between them Chatham, Dartford and Sittingbourne have picked up just a point between them!  Whilst their game on Tuesday was rained off, Steve Binks will be hoping that his Chatham side are back on track as they head to the very end of the London Underground system to face Uxbridge.  Whilst the Chats need the points to stay in contention with the leaders, Uxbridge need the points at the other end of the table and will be looking to do to Chatham what they did to Sittingbourne last weekend.  The Brickies proud unbeaten home League record went for a burton as Uxbridge won 3-1, in a game that must have infuriated boss Steve Lovell.  To then lose at Great Wakering in midweek just about capped a miserable week for Sittingbourne, who tomorrow faces the side immediately below them as they head through the Dartford Tunnel to face Ilford.  For Dartford themselves, they’ve got another long trip North to face Stamford – another tough away day for Tony Burman’s charges.  Having gone down 3-0 at Rothwell last weekend, the Darts boss must have enthused when his side went two up against Barking and East Ham on Tuesday.  Me thinks his mood may have changed somewhat by the end of the game though as the visitors came back and grabbed a point.  A point will be more pleasing though tomorrow I bet… In the Ryman Premier League, our three teams face a really tough weekend playing three of the top five.  For Folkestone a trip to face third placed Fisher is hardly the best of trips, but then again knowing Neil Cugley, he’d probably just about enjoy a trip to Champion Hill  (Fishers temporary home in Dulwich).  After the joy of beating Aylesbury and getting Chester in the First Round, Cugley’s side naturally enough I suppose crashed to defeat at Worthing on Tuesday.  Exactly how many of his players will be thinking of the Deva Stadium this week is open to conjecture although with Paul Jones and Jimmy Dryden linking well up front and Adam Flanagan and John Guest again re united at the heart of a defence commanded by keeper Tony Kessell, Invicta wont be allowed to take Fisher lightly especially as the players are now playing for the right to be on the very first Folkestone Invicta team sheet in Round One of the FA Cup. Bromley rebounded to their Cup upset and unlucky defeat to Aldershot seven days ago with a fine 2-0 win on Tuesday over AFC Wimbledon at Hayes Lane.  The prolific Nic McDonnell netted his tenth goal of the season, whilst Sam Wood scored his first goal for the club, and if I’m not very much mistaken “set” a record in the process.  Because if memory serves, Wood was also part of the Cray Wanderers squad the day they ended AFC Dons long unbeaten run – again at Hayes Lane.  The “true” wombles must hate the sight of the place.  And that after all is something that George Wakeling is striving to achieve with his players.  Next “victims” (we hope) are third in the table Staines Town.  On Staines’ last trip to Kent the were dumped out of the FA Cup at Cheriton Road, and with Bromley’s League form currently boasting just two League defeats all season it promises to be an enthralling afternoon at Hayes Lane… On a past occasion that Margate visited Braintree Town, Leon Braithwaite sent a penalty out of the ground as the Gate won a stormy FA Trophy replay 2-1.  After their first defeat in nine League games on Monday, Chris Kinnear takes his charges into deepest Essex to face the fifth placed team in the League.  I’m told by one of my Margate “spy” (well when he’s got his glasses on anyway) that new signing Adolph Amoako and Braithwaite are beginning to form a decent partnership and they’ll need to be at their best tomorrow.  Incidentally, Braintree are one of just three Ryman League clubs to reach the First Round of the Cup (they beat Crawley in the Fourth Qualifying Round) – the other two?  Our very own Folkestone and Ramsgate! Up in Conference South, and Welling United are two points off top and if results go their way tomorrow they could go into their First Round FA Cup tie on Sunday week at Huddersfield top of the pile.  When you consider that most of this side made their debuts for the club on the opening day of the season, it really is a true tribute to Pennock and Phil Handford that their charges have taken the League by storm.  Last year if they’d have repeated their away form at Park View Road they would have challenged for a Play Off berth.  This time around they have and they go into this weekend just two points off top.  And with a trip to Maidenhead that on paper at least they should win as their hosts are currently in the bottom three as I said before the Wings could well be top of the pile come Saturday tea time.  That said I am reminded that our great game isn’t played on paper and as a result Pennock will know that its games like tomorrows that good sides will efficiently will… Down in the Kent League ten sides are involved in the First Round of the FA Vase so that leaves leaders Beckenham to go six points clear if they win their league game with Sporting Bengal. Last word to those FA Vase ties and its good luck to, in no particular order, Hythe (at VTFC); Slade Green (at Mile Oak); Greenwich Borough (at home to Colliers Wood); Erith Town (at home to Whitehawk); Herne Bay (at home to Epsom and Ewell); Erith and Belvedere (at home to Hillingdon Borough); Thamesmead (at Wantage Town); Maidstone (at North Leigh); VCD (at Cove) and finally Marc Seager’s Whitstable as they entertain Andover… No game on the radio for me this week (a well earned weekend off after all the excitement of Southwood and Ramsgate’s fantastic FA Cup triumph) so I could pop up anywhere tomorrow…  But I think I may well catch a game at the seaside…  Full report from wherever I finish up will be posted on this website on Sunday…  Don’t forget all the scores and reaction as usual with Matt Davison from the BBC – Saturday Sport 2:00 til 5:55 on BBC Radio Kent… Seven days from now the BIG THREE go for FA Cup glory, and with a couple of fascinating League games thrown in, that’s it from me until next week. Cheers Mike Green