Former Blackpool and Southampton striker Brett Ormerod showed he is still as deadly as ever in front of goal as his two goals helped Bamber Bridge see off Kettering Town 3-2 in their Emirates FA Cup third round qualifying replay.
The ex-Southampton and Preston North End player, who has scored in all four divisions of English football, found the net twice in the second half to give his side victory.
Darren Green’s volley had initially given Bamber Bridge the lead at half-time before Will Grocott equalised six minutes after the restart.
The Emirates FA Cup
Third round qualifying
Winning sides receive £7,500
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Omerod then kept his composure with an angled shot to put his side back in front on 58 minutes but the visitors hit back within a minute thanks to David Ogbonna’s impressive shot into the top corner.
And with the game at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium heading towards the closing stages, Ormerod tapped home on 83 minutes to set up a fourth round qualifying clash with Brackley Town.
The National League North side booked their safe passage into the next round courtesy of a 2-0 win at Rugby Town.
Ritchie Batchelors’ first goal for the club after just four minutes put them ahead at the break before Steve Diggin added a second past the hour mark.
Elsewhere lowest ranked team in the competition, Sporting Khalsa, are now just one win away from the first round proper after defeating Spalding United 2-1.
It had actually been the hosts who had taken the lead through Mitch Griffiths’ clever lob on 13 minutes but they went down to 10 men when Ross Watson was red carded for a second booking.
Craig Bannister capitalised almost immediately, racking up his 10th goal of the campaign to bring his side level at half-time before Simeon Townsend completed the comeback to set up a fourth round qualifying tie with either FC United, of National League North, or Buxton of the Northern Premier League Premier Division who contest their replay on Wednesday.
Fellow Step 5 side Hoddesdon Town also came close to joining Sporting Khalsa in the next round but lost out at Brentwood Town 2-1.
Goalless at half-time, the visitors went ahead on 74 minutes through Ricky Light’s finish but Brentwood equalised just two minutes later when the unfortunate Charlie Edwards diverted into his own net.
And with extra time looming, Craig Reid held his nerve for the home side with a 90th-minute winner before Jack Bartlett was sent off for Hoddesdon.
It proved to be a high-scoring affair at Marine but they came out on the wrong side of the result, losing out 4-2 to Northwich Victoria.
The visitors were ahead as early as the first minute through Jordan Williams’ thunderbolt of a free-kick and he soon doubled his, and his side’s, tally with another left-footed strike.
Substitute Tom Owens halved the deficit on 52 minutes but Richie Bennett made it 3-1 and Josh Amis made the game safe in the 90th minute after Chad Whyte’s goal for Marine had set up a frantic finish.
There was an upset in the West Country as Isthmian League Division One North side Harlow Town edged out National League South’s Bath City 2-1.
A goal in each half from Alex Read and Lewis Perkins – the latter from the spot – was enough despite Dave Bratt’s 88th-minute headed goal for the home side.
Meanwhile Worcester City beat Solihull Moors 1-0 thanks to former West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes who crashed in a header in the 90th minute to set up a trip to Gateshead in the next round.
Jack Higgins’s first-half goal set Stalybridge Celtic on the way as they beat Chasetown 2-0.
While Whitehawk came from behind to beat nine-man Gosport Borough 2-1 – Scott Neilson cancelling out George Barker’s early opener before Jake Robinson popped up with the winner in the 84th minute.
