Sussex Pair Dumped Out as South Central Sides Face FA Cup Joy and Pain

By Dougie
Dugout AI round-up reporter · Isthmian League South Central / FA Cup round-up · Saturday 22 August 2026

There was no Isthmian South Central league action on Saturday as the FA Cup Preliminary Round took centre stage — and for Sussex it proved to be an afternoon to forget.

The county has just two representatives in this season’s South Central Division, Bognor Regis Town and Littlehampton Town, and both saw their FA Cup journeys brought to an end.

For Bognor, the manner of the defeat will hurt.

The Rocks led at Nyewood Lane against East Grinstead Town, only to be hit by two late goals and lose 2-1 to lower-league Sussex opposition.

Littlehampton also bowed out, beaten 3-1 at divisional rivals Cobham.

Around the rest of the South Central clubs there was just about everything: Hendon continued their remarkable goalscoring start, Hayes & Yeading won a nine-goal thriller, Jersey Bulls had a hat-trick hero, Windsor & Eton hit five, Raynes Park Vale were stunned by Step 5 opposition and several ties will require replays.

ROCKS STUNNED AT NYEWOOD LANE

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN 1 EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN 2

This is exactly the sort of afternoon which demonstrates why the FA Cup remains so addictive — although nobody connected with Bognor Regis Town will be particularly interested in hearing that this morning.

The Rocks went into the tie as favourites.

They had already beaten Abbey Rangers 3-0 in the Extra Preliminary Round and had begun their South Central league campaign unbeaten.

A 4-2 victory over Windsor & Eton was followed by Wednesday night’s goalless draw away at AFC Portchester, leaving Bognor on four points from their opening two league matches.

Everything therefore appeared to be moving in the right direction.

And after a goalless opening 45 minutes against East Grinstead, the Rocks appeared to be taking control when they finally broke the deadlock in the 54th minute.

At that stage, you would have expected Bognor to see the job through.

They did not.

East Grinstead stayed in the contest and, in the 76th minute, produced the equaliser which completely changed the mood around Nyewood Lane.

Suddenly Bognor were no longer protecting a lead.

They were involved in a cup tie.

Then came the killer blow.

With the game reaching the 90th minute, East Grinstead struck again to complete the turnaround and send Bognor crashing out 2-1.

It is a significant result for both clubs.

For East Grinstead, this is exactly what the early rounds of the FA Cup are about: going away to higher-level opposition, staying alive when behind and taking the opportunity when it arrives.

For Bognor, it is a wasted opportunity.

The Rocks have begun their league campaign encouragingly and looked capable of putting together a useful cup run. Instead, their FA Cup adventure is over before the end of August.

The positive is that this does not alter what has been a decent opening in the league.

Bognor remain unbeaten in South Central competition, and Saturday represents their first real setback of the competitive campaign rather than evidence of any wider problem.

But cup defeats against lower-division opposition always sting.

There will be no time to dwell on it either.

Because next up?

Littlehampton Town away on Tuesday night.

A Sussex derby involving two sides who will both arrive wanting an immediate reaction.

That suddenly looks even more interesting.

GOLDEN BOYS ALSO BOW OUT

COBHAM 3 LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN 1

Littlehampton’s return to Step Four continues to provide a brutal early examination.

The Golds were reprieved into the Isthmian South Central Division for 2026/27 and have already discovered just how unforgiving this level can be.

There was early encouragement in the FA Cup when Littlehampton defeated Eastbourne United 1-0 in the Extra Preliminary Round.

Since then, results have been difficult.

Their league campaign began with a 3-1 defeat away at Southall.

Tuesday night produced the same scoreline at home to Westfield, despite Littlehampton taking an early lead through Powell after only 11 minutes.

And now another 3-1 defeat has followed, this time in the FA Cup at Cobham.

That is three consecutive defeats and nine goals conceded across those matches.

Nobody needs to panic in August, particularly when a club has stepped into a tougher division, but Littlehampton will know results need to begin turning.

There are positives.

They have found the net in both league games and again on Saturday. The issue has been keeping the opposition out.

At Step Four, you simply do not get away with giving teams repeated opportunities.

Cobham certainly took theirs and now progress to First Round Qualifying.

For Littlehampton, attention turns completely back to the league — and Tuesday night’s home Sussex derby against Bognor suddenly feels important for both sides.

The Golds need their first league points.

The Rocks need to respond to an FA Cup upset.

You suspect neither will require much motivation.

HENDON KEEP HAMMERING TEAMS

HENDON 4 HERTFORD TOWN 0

If anybody was wondering whether Hendon’s 7-0 destruction of Raynes Park Vale in midweek was a freak result, Saturday provided a fairly convincing answer.

Hendon put another four past Hertford Town without reply.

That means they have scored 11 goals in their last two competitive matches.

Their league campaign has already started with two victories from two and ten goals scored, and their FA Cup progress simply adds to the sense that Hendon could become a serious force in this division.

There are plenty of clubs with promotion ambitions in South Central, but Hendon are making an enormous amount of noise very early.

JERSEY’S HAT-TRICK HERO

JERSEY BULLS 4 SHEERWATER 1

Jersey Bulls also advanced convincingly, beating Sheerwater 4-1 in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The star was Sammy Henia-Kamau, who struck a hat-trick to send the Bulls comfortably into the next round.

Jersey have also started positively in the league, collecting four points from their first two matches, and the Bulls are rapidly looking like another club capable of being involved towards the upper end of the table.

A cup run would do the mood at Springfield no harm whatsoever.

HAYES WIN NINE-GOAL SHOOTOUT

HAYES & YEADING UNITED 6 WHITE ENSIGN 3

Defending apparently became optional at Hayes & Yeading.

Nine goals were shared as the South Central side eventually came through 6-3 against White Ensign.

Ben Purcell and Ross Derham both scored twice as Hayes booked their place in First Round Qualifying.

For anyone who paid admission, excellent value.

For either management team?

Possibly a slightly different opinion.

VALE SUFFER CUP NIGHTMARE

RAYNES PARK VALE 1 PETTS WOOD & HOLMESDALE 5

One of Saturday’s biggest shocks came at Grand Drive.

Raynes Park Vale were demolished 5-1 at home by Petts Wood & Holmesdale, a side playing one level below them.

The visitors were already 3-0 ahead by half-time through two goals from Charlie Clover and another from Conor Evans.

Danal Hassan briefly reduced the deficit for Vale, but Joel Wakefield and Ryan Mahal added further goals to complete a remarkable away victory.

It completes a terrible week for Raynes Park.

They were beaten 7-0 by Hendon on Tuesday and have now conceded another five.

That is 12 conceded in two matches.

August can turn very quickly in non-league football.

Vale need to stop the slide.

WINDSOR HIT FIVE

Windsor & Eton enjoyed one of the biggest South Central victories of the afternoon, thrashing North Leigh 5-0.

After losing 4-2 at Bognor on their league opener and then edging Cobham 1-0, this was a major confidence boost and comfortably their best display of the competitive season so far.

KINGSTONIAN MARCH ON

Kingstonian returned from Tunbridge Wells with an excellent 3-1 victory.

The K’s have drawn both of their opening South Central league matches — 0-0 with AFC Portchester and 3-3 at Ascot United — so turning draws into victories will be the next objective in league competition.

Saturday at least proved they know how to get across the line.

SOUTHALL CONTINUE STRONG START

Southall also remain in the competition after winning 2-1 away at Deal Town.

It continues a very solid August.

Southall are unbeaten in their opening three league games and currently sit among the early leaders with five points.

Add FA Cup progression and this is becoming a very respectable opening to the season.

EGHAM EASE THROUGH

Egham Town defeated Bearsted 3-0, backing up Tuesday night’s 2-0 league victory at Hartley Wintney.

After being thrashed 5-0 at Winchester on the opening day, Egham have responded impressively.

Two wins.

Two clean sheets.

Five goals scored.

That opening-day nightmare suddenly feels a long time ago.

ASCOT ADVANCE

Ascot United edged through with a 2-1 victory over Penn & Tylers Green.

The Yellas have endured a mixed league opening but Cup progression gives them something to build upon heading back into South Central action.

LEAGUE LEADERS WINCHESTER ARE OUT

Perhaps one of the more surprising results involving a South Central club came at Dorchester.

Winchester City, who have absolutely flown out of the blocks in league competition, were beaten 3-1.

Winchester currently lead the South Central Division after three straight league victories, scoring 13 and conceding just once in the process.

They remain the early team to catch in the league.

But there will be no FA Cup run.

MONEYFIELDS AND HARROW FALL

Moneyfields were another side beaten by lower-level opposition, losing 2-0 at home to Portland United.

Harrow Borough also exited, going down 3-1 at home to Snodland Town.

Both can now concentrate on league and Trophy business.

THREE TIES NEED ANOTHER NIGHT

AFC Portchester and Westbury United could not be separated, drawing 2-2.

Portchester knew beforehand that a draw would send the tie back to Westbury for a Tuesday-night replay, continuing what has been a remarkable run of stalemates for the Royals early in the campaign.

AFC Stoneham and Badshot Lea produced an even wilder 3-3 draw, with their replay scheduled for Tuesday.

Westfield and Sussex side Hassocks also finished 1-1, keeping that Cup tie alive.

Hartley Wintney’s scheduled tie with Baffins Milton Rovers did not take place on Saturday and is now listed for Tuesday 25 August.

SOUTH CENTRAL CLUBS — SATURDAY’S FA CUP RESULTS

Baffins Milton Rovers v Hartley Wintney did not take place and has been rearranged.

THE SUSSEX VERDICT

For Sussex, there is no way of dressing it up.

It was a poor afternoon.

Bognor Regis will be particularly frustrated because they were ahead at home against a lower-level East Grinstead side and appeared to have one foot in First Round Qualifying before conceding twice in the final 15 minutes.

Littlehampton’s defeat at Cobham means the Golds have now lost three in succession and their priority has to be getting league points on the board.

And that makes Tuesday night fascinating.

Littlehampton Town v Bognor Regis Town.

The two Sussex representatives in the Isthmian South Central.

Both knocked out of the FA Cup on the same afternoon.

One searching for its first league points.

The other trying to prove Saturday was simply an FA Cup slip-up.

For Sussex, the Cup may be finished at this level.

But the South Central story is only just beginning.

First published in Dugout News, Issue 3, 23 August 2026. Republished here in full.