Harefield manager Jason Shaw rang the changes for this FA Cup tie against visiting Lydney Town, a Hellenic Premier outfit from the Forest of Dean. Teenager Reece Mallett was brought in to replace goalkeeper Jason Ballheimer who had suffered a dead leg in his previous midweek outing, Rowan Larrington was set to come in for Harry McCorkell at left back but he turned his ankle warming up so Elliott Dobbs was given his first start since returning from Leverstock Green, McCorkell moved into central midfield for Calum Rogers and Andrew Harewood was to be Richard Pacquette’s third strike partner in as many games.

With the wind worse than a bad day at Wodson Park, United kicked off and both sides initially struggled to control the ball. First chance after five minutes fell to right back Steven Green who failed to connect a right foot volley on the edge of the six yard box. After fifteen minutes a badly timed tackle on the halfway line earned Hares number seven Samuel Shaw a yellow card. The resultant free kick saw the visitors win two corners, the second of which was headed wide for a goal kick. From this a Green cross from the right led to Hares captain Sean Mangan head straight at the keeper.

On twenty one minutes a clumsy McCorkell challenge saw him cautioned near the centre spot and on the half hour mark Lydney had their first chance of the contest when a low shot from the left was pushed out for a corner by Mallett. Mangan hooked the ball away to midfielder Paul Underwood who put McCorkell through to side foot the ball into the net only for the referee to disallow the effort for a foul on the Lydney keeper.

The home team’s next chance came when a Pacquette cross from the right saw the goalie fumble Harewood’s shot and McCorkell smashed the rebound straight at the keeper. A minute before the break a Lydney attack was thwarted by Mangan with a foul from behind just inside the home half, Mangan was cautioned and the ensuing free kick saw Mangan fouled in retaliation in the Hares penalty area.

In the second half United had to tread carefully with three players on yellows. First chance fell to Lydney but the shot from twenty five yards was taken out of the ground by the wind. Harefield started to look the livelier team, Harewood came in from the left, passed to Shaw who crossed to Pacquette , he laid the ball off to McCorkell who forced a save out of the Lydney keeper for a corner.

On sixty one minutes Harewood put Pacquette through from the centre circle, the evergreen striker beat his man and opened the scoring with a low shot past the outstretched Lydney custodian. Pacquette was rewarded by being substituted a minute later for attacker Tashan Jordan. Two minutes later last season’s top scorer Lenny Farhall came on for his first taste of action this season, replacing the impressive midfielder Luke Baldwin. Jordan made inroads against a strong Lydney defence and the visiting number eight received a yellow card for a tackle on Jordan from behind.

On seventy-three minutes a Jordan solo run from the halfway line saw the keeper palm away his effort for a corner. Four minutes later another Shaw corner led to McCorkell side footing the ball into the net at the near post for his first goal of the season. With eight minutes remaining Manager Jason Shaw played his final card, bringing off McCorkell for Rogers in midfield. In the last attack of the match Shaw dribbled towards the keeper, side-footed the ball to Jordan who dummied the goalie and passed into the empty net for Harefield’s third of the match. Three nil to the Hares then who go on to visit Southern League club Evesham United in the next round.

Harefield team. Mallett, Dobbs, Green, Wharton, McCorkell, Mangan (c), S. Shaw, Underwood, Harewood, Pacquette, Baldwin. Subs. Jordan, Farhall, Rogers. Not used, Clark, Edwards, Ballheimer, Oben.

Report by Gary South.