Minnows still swimming

While I was at my parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner, I recorded the FA Cup first-round replay between League Two's Stockport County and Staines Town, a member of the Ryman Premier Division, or three levels below League Two. It was a treat near-equal to Mom's turkey dinner to watch the part-timers from Staines Town beat a team from the Football League for the first time in its history on penalty kicks. The match was 1-1 after extra time, but Staines Town's keeper, Shaun Allaway, managed to turn aside two of the five penalty shots while his mates put in the last four to send Staines Town through to the second round. Stockport''s manager Jim Gannon summed things well when he said that his team played well, but couldn't finish its chances. That was true in the second half, at least. Stockport County had the Staines Town net under siege for much of the second 45 minutes.

Staines Town, just a bit west of London and south of Slough, will host another League Two side, Peterborough Rovers, in the second round. Staines Town is not the lowest-level club through to the second round. Harrowgate Railway of the UniBond League First Division North, or the eighth level of English football, will host League Two's Mansfield Town. Harrowgate Railway are one level below Staines Town and Horsham, also of the Ryman Premier, who will be home to Swansea City of League One in the second round. Fox Soccer Channel is scheduled to show the Horsham-Swansea City match live and the Harrowgate-Mansfield match on tape delay. I'm hoping for a little more giant killing.