The Yellow and Blue Army will not be dancing down Wembley Way nine months from now.

84 days since Manchester United roared to victory in last season’s FA Cup final, the start of a new season brought with it all the hopes, dreams and shut eyed fantasy of the world’s oldest and most famous knockout competition.

For the third season in a row, Lancing began their new campaign ‘under new management’ as Jamie Hollis, stepping up from his role as coach from last season, began his home tenure. 

He responded to our opening loss at newly promoted, strongly fancied Deal Town with three changes to his XI – Gideon Acheampong and Noel Fisher replaced Tyrese Sutherland and Stan Berry whilst there was a warm welcome back to Culver Road for fan favourite Harrison Parker. He came in to the team in place of Billy Oliver, who dropped to the bench. 

Athletic Newham, from the Essex Senior League, had got past Chipstead in the extra preliminary round but Lancing came into the tie as favourites and soon showed why.
After a succession of corners had caused mild panic in the Newham defence, the new-look Lancers saw their early pressure pay off.
Good work down the left hand side led to the award of a free-kick and  last season’s ‘Mr Consistent’ Charlie Gibson took responsibility with an in-swinger. The ball initially looked as though it had gone straight in but we can now confirm Harry Docherty got the final touch, with a flicked header to steer the ball beyond Eric Negraru in the Newham net.

At that stage, you’d have got long odds on the carnage to follow but, in the fourteenth minute of the tie, the Londoners were level. There was complete confusion at the back as Owen Spicer and Josh Tuck found themselves under pressure, Lancing lost concentration and Lorenz Ferdinand was stranded. George Rankin teed up Jaime Nvumba who squared for Alex Kozak to tap into an empty net.

Things unfortunately then simply unraveled as Lancing’s defence melted away. A minute further on and the Step 5 visitors turned the tie on its head. Rankin was involved again as his ball out of defence picked out the wonderfully named Leonardo Luis de Carvalho Pedro to run through and finish well beyond the advancing Ferdinand.

Players and fan alike were barely able to draw breath amidst the avalanche of action with Rankin once more involved for the game’s fourth goal inside twenty minutes. This time, it was the Newham no.8’s ball through the middle doing the damage as Lancers defence was left completely flat footed. Nvumba turned from provider to scorer as he controlled well and applied an excellent finish with a deft lob despite more than a hint of offside. There vociferous protestations from those in the stands, but the goal was given and Lancers – having simply not settled since our early goal – now had a mountain to climb. 

Our guests were helping themselves to the feast offered up by Lancing’s generosity and gobbled up their fourth goal in a manic ten minute spell. Again, the Lancers proved architects of their own downfall as Kozak’s corner was flicked on by the unmarked Derek O’Halem to squeeze his effort beyond Ferdinand at the near post. 

Kozak had posed a constant threat with his set pieces and again saw his outswinging corner flash across goal when a touch would surely have taken it in. 

Lancers were given the slimmest of lifelines in the 35th minute when a penalty was given, even if no one in the ground was quite sure why. 

Docherty sent Negraru the wrong way to score confidently and restore a glimmer of hope.

But in keeping with a defensive display that would give the Lancing keeper’s famous Dad Rio nightmares, Athletic Newham then went close twice in quick succession.
Pedro volleyed wide with the Lancers defence wide open again before O’Halem flashed an effort over the top from another Kozak flag-kick.

Half time: Lancing 2 Athletic Newham 4

To their credit, Lancing gamely stuck to their task and knew that if they could find the next goal, then a grandstand finish was in order.
That task was made harder when Harrison marked his ‘second’ home debut with a straight red card for a late challenge on the far touchline and trudged off to warm applause from the adoring Culver Road faithful.

‘Docs’ almost completed his hat-trick with a good effort from distance, and the Lancers did at least manage to mount a period of sustained pressure and a flurry of corners. The visitors held firm and were able to clear their lines, however.

There’s an old saying in football that it can be harder to play against ten men than eleven and that certainly seemed the case for the visitors. Negraru saved well to twice deny Gibbo, and on the second occasion also reacted strongly to keep out substitute Billy Oliver on the follow up. 

Time was against the Lancers but we continued to plug away. Another sub, Callum Erskine, was crowded out as he tried to spin and shoot. At the other end, a quick counter attack found Tychique Kinkela emerge with the ball but he could only find the side netting.

And so the final whistle brought the curtain down on our brief and bumpy FA Cup life. It has been a disappointing start to the new Hollis era with back to back defeats, but no doubt the team will click into gear soon. This is a new group of players and it can take time to gel – we can take positives from the second half performance and the attacking play looked lively throughout. 

See you all back here on Saturday for our next FA competition match when we host Southall in the FA Trophy. 

Full time: Lancing 2-4 Athletic Newham

Attendance: 235

Lancing starting line up: 1 Lorenz Ferdinand, 2 Gideon Acheampong, 3 Charlie Gibson, 4 Owen Spicer, 5 Josh Tuck, Shay Leahy, 7 Lewis Lembikasa, 16 Tashae Andall-Gibbons, 9 Noel Fisher, 10 Harry Docherty, 11 Harrison Parker. Substitutes: 8 Shay Matthews (Acheampong ht), 15 Billy Oliver (for Lembikisa 58), 14 Callum Erskine (for Docherty 75), 12 Ahmed Belgarne (for Tuck 90), 20 Alieu Secka. 

Bookings: Charlie Gibson, Lewis Lembikisa . Red cards: Harrison Parker (62)