Yeovil Town’s route into the FA Cup first round remains unresolved after the club drew 3-3 with Leatherhead in the competition’s fourth qualifying round.
The result was listed among Saturday’s FA Cup results by BBC Sport. Because the tie finished level, Yeovil and Leatherhead were among the clubs whose contests required replays, with those matches due to be decided on Tuesday according to the report.
The supplied report does not give the date, venue or kick-off time for Yeovil Town’s replay. It also does not state the outcome of that replay, leaving the Somerset club’s immediate FA Cup fate open in the available information.
Yeovil tie goes to a replay
The 3-3 scoreline was recorded alongside a series of fourth qualifying-round results involving clubs from the professional and non-league systems. Yeovil’s match with Leatherhead was one of several ties that could not be settled on the day.
Other drawn matches included Bury’s 1-1 home tie with Harrogate Town, Gateshead’s 1-1 draw with Stafford Rangers, Chesham United’s 0-0 game against Forest Green Rovers, Gloucester City’s 0-0 draw at Barrow and Macclesfield’s 1-1 match with Anstey Nomads.
Those results meant a number of clubs still had the opportunity to reach the first round through a replay. The BBC report says the replays were to be decided on Tuesday, but does not provide a specific arrangement for Yeovil Town’s meeting with Leatherhead.
Historic progress for lower-ranked clubs
Yeovil’s draw came in a round that produced several notable achievements for lower-league teams. AFC Rushden & Diamonds, an eighth-tier club founded in 2011 after the demise of Rushden & Diamonds, reached the FA Cup first-round draw for the first time in its history.
The club had won five matches on its way to the first round and completed its progress with a 2-1 upset against National League North side Morecambe, who play two levels above them. That victory secured AFC Rushden & Diamonds a place in Monday’s first-round draw.
Tadley Calleva remained in contention as the lowest-ranked side in the draw picture. The ninth-tier Hampshire club came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with National League opponents Aldershot Town. The match was watched by 883 travelling supporters, and Tadley Calleva was due to have a home replay on Tuesday with a first-round place at stake.
Seventh-tier Berkhamsted produced another major upset by coming from behind to beat Southend United 2-1 at Roots Hall. The result put Berkhamsted into the first round for the first time. The club described the achievement as the greatest day in its history, according to the report.
Two other seventh-tier sides, Plymouth Parkway and Sholing, also secured first-time appearances in the first round. Plymouth Parkway defeated Chertsey Town 2-0, while Sholing beat SE Dons by the same score.
Wimborne Town also made the draw for the first time since 1982, and Guiseley added to the seventh-tier representation. Several other seventh- and eighth-tier clubs kept their hopes alive by drawing with National League opposition and earning replays.
Prize money and possible first-round opponents
The financial and sporting rewards for progressing are significant. Clubs that won their fourth qualifying-round ties on Saturday received £9,375 in prize money. Yeovil’s draw did not produce that immediate winner’s payment, but victory in the replay would keep the club in contention for the first-round rewards and draw.
A first-round place would also create the possibility of facing League One or League Two opposition. The potential opponents named in the report include former FA Cup winners Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Bradford City.
The first-round fixtures were scheduled to be played around the weekend of Saturday, 7 November. The draw was due to be made at 18:35 BST on Monday 19 October, live on TNT Sports and the TNT Sports YouTube channel. Former FA Cup winners Martin Keown and Fara Williams were named as the people making the draw.
For Yeovil supporters, the next confirmed stage in the supplied material is the replay against Leatherhead. The report establishes the 3-3 result and the need for a replay, but not the practical details needed to attend or follow that match.