Wasps: Fox, Hampson, Wilson, Sinclair ©, Pelling (Johnston 50), Taylor, Hiller-Jones, Gellatly (Castrechino 82), Schaaf, Geard, Belli (Burns 68). Not Used: Harding, Goodsir.

Oaks: Albon, Guy (Henty 82), Kenward, Stracey ©, Pollard, Lyell, Bunn (Saunders 77), Davey, Legate, Adlam, Capon (Lindsay 64). Not Used: Greenfield, Salter.

Stats: (East Grinstead-AFC Uckfield)
Shots: 12-8; Shots On Target: 7-3; Corners: 6-4; Fouls Committed: 7-13; Offside: 13-2.

Two goals in the last eleven minutes of normal time spared East Grinstead Town’s blushes as they came from behind to beat a spirited AFC Uckfield side at the GAC Stadium in an FA Vase First Qualifying Round tie.

Fantastic goalkeeping from Andy Albon in the Oaks’ goal kept it goalless at the break, before Callum Legate gave the visitors the lead eight minutes into the second half. It looked like the Division Two side would hang on, but Scott Johnston got on the end of a ball into the area to level things up before Matt Geard’s strike from twelve yards put East Grinstead through to face Pagham in the next round.

Albon produced his first of many first half saves just three minute in, as Geard won the ball from an Uckfield throw-in before beating Carl Kenward on the right, but his low drive was turned around the near post by the diving keeper.
George Hiller-Jones then lifted the ball over the bar before Uckfield had their first effort of the game inside the opening ten minutes. Steve Stracey’s through ball played in Sammy Bunn, who got to the ball before Mark Fox, only to poke it narrowly wide of the near corner.
Albon then came out well to deny Sam Schaaf before making an even better save. Dave Gellatly burst down the left before finding Hiller-Jones, and from point-blank range the former Oaks player saw his effort brilliantly saved by Albon, who then kept out Schaaf again moments later, to even draw applause from the Wasps’ bench.
Fox was then happy to watch Howard Davey’s free-kick from 25 yards curl narrowly over the bar, before the ever-impressing Albon came to Uckfield’s rescue again before the break. Lewis Taylor broke through the visitors’ defence after a neat one-two, and took the ball away from the advancing Albon, only for the scrambling keeper to keep the ball out with his legs.

The visitors came out battling at the start of the second half, as Aaron Capon forced Fox to turn the ball wide at the near post before he drove narrowly wide minutes later.
AFC then broke the deadlock after 53 minutes when Legate latched onto a ball over the top of the Wasps’ defence, and held off Marc Pelling before lifting the ball over the advancing Fox and into the net to give the visitors a belief that they could cause an upset.
Instead of holding on, Uckfield continued to press and Jacob Adlam came close to doubling the lead after the hour after Stracey’s ball forward fell to the striker, but his volley looped just past the post.
It appeared luck was with the visitors, as Town were kept out once again as John Sinclair played a well-weighted through ball to Hiller-Jones, who one on one with Albon, shifted the ball across to Schaaf, but Damon Pollard got across to volley the ball clear on the line of the unguarded net.
Hiller-Jones then blazed wildly over the bar from eight yards, before the hosts did eventually break a stubborn Uckfield defence after 79 minutes. Kieran Wilson lofted the ball into the area from a free-kick out on the left, and Albon made his first mistake of the match in miss-judging it and substitute Johnston was left unmarked at the far post to cushion his volley in from a tight angle.
With the tie heading to extra-time, Uckfield’s hearts were broken in a cruel manner five minutes from time when sub Carlo Castrechino played the ball back to Geard on the edge of the area, and the former Whitehawk star evaded the lunge of James Lyell before slamming the ball past the diving Albon and into the net.