The FA Cup is still the competition which captures the imagination for player's, coaching staff and fans of these non-league teams. For anyone under the age of 25 reading this, you will never appreciate the glory of FA Cup Final day on the TV. Your team didn't even need to be in it. It was amazing.
Setting off for the Aspect Arena on a wet Saturday afternoon, the mind wanders as to what could await Concord Rangers in this year's cup. I'll let you into a little secret readers, I also support another football team, and I never get that feeling about the FA Cup with them, even when we consistently lose in the semi-finals.
I'm a bit of jonny-come-lately with Concord and despite them being local to me, I only started following them when they reached the 1st round of the FA Cup in 2014. Now I couldn't have been the only fan who did that, so that's another thing the FA Cup can do. It captures the indifferent fans attention, and I've said this many times before about Concord. Once you've gone once, that's it...Concord just grabs you.
Wouldn't it be great if Concord could reach the promised land of the 1st round proper again. Thirty-two teams non-league teams will reach that round, so why can't it be Concord? There's no reason why it can't. The team is well coached, pragmatic, but also more importantly for those special cup-ties it has player's that can do something out of the ordinary. If a player does something magical in a cup-tie it will be talked of in folklore by the club's fans.
So back to yesterday's game, Margate was potentially a banana-skin for Concord. Albeit a team from a league below, but Margate are a side who have in the past spent money and time in the Conference South. Imagine my surprise also when Leroy Lita appeared for Margate up front. Leroy is obviously on his way down the football pyramid, and if I was a Margate fan I would have appreciated him running a bit yesterday. I don't think he broke sweat.
Concord on a spell of indifferent results, started the match slowly, but as the game wore on began to dominate possession and territory. Whilst not creating many chances in the first half, for those watching it was just a case of "we'll get a goal soon", but for the pessimists amongst the watching support it was a case of "we better get one soon!"
The second half started with the score still goal-less, and the goal came early in the 2nd half, with Jack Midson bundling the ball over the line after good work from Lee Minshull at the far post. A little point about Lee Minshull...every team at whatever level needs someone like Minshull. He's good on the ball, but he will fight the team. Any trouble, and he's there front and centre. Lovely fella off the pitch, I would not want to tangle with him on it!
Concord were in control, and it was nice to see so many young player's on the bench experiencing an FA Cup fixture for probably the first team. It was the best of this young crop of player's Adam Topley who came on and scored a delightful header to wrap the game up in the dying stages. Concord are now in the 3rd Qualifying Round and await Monday's with anticipation.
Two rounds away from something special happening again. It's what every player and fan loves at this level. Long live the FA Cup!
