Bourne Town and Dartford both advanced to the Second Round of their respective cup competitions following victories in midweek fixtures.

Bourne Town recorded a historic win at home, securing progression to the Second Round for the first time in 54 years. The decisive goal came early when Dan Forbes converted a well-crafted chance, capitalizing on a pass from Zac Allen, who had been set up by Lewis Darlington’s play. The hosts started strongly, with Jack York narrowly missing the target with an early attempt. Despite possession favoring the visitors as the match wore on, they rarely tested Bourne’s goalkeeper Will Lakin.

The game featured a contentious moment shortly before halftime when a defensive error allowed Gus Sanches to break through on goal. As Sanches approached the net, Charlie Brooks intervened with a sliding challenge that won the ball but also took out the attacker, leaving the referee to dismiss appeals for a penalty. The match was physically intense, with several hard tackles, including one in the 52nd minute where Aaron McCreadie delivered a late and high challenge on Aaron Eyett.

Darlington appeared to have extended Bourne’s lead with a header, but the effort was disallowed for offside. Rainy conditions contributed to a slippery contest, and Lakin had to be alert late on when he spilled a shot that Forbes managed to clear off the line. The visitors thought they had equalized in injury time, only for their goal to be ruled out for offside, preserving Bourne’s narrow advantage until the final whistle.

Meanwhile, Dartford secured their place in the Second Round of the FA Trophy with a 3-2 victory over Three Bridges at Princes Park. Max Fiddes was the standout performer, scoring twice to give the hosts an early edge. The opening goal came in the 22nd minute from Vladimir Paternoster, who broke the deadlock. The visitors were kept at bay by a number of saves from goalkeeper Ryan Sandford, including a notable stop from Hayden Velvick’s attempt before halftime.

Fiddes extended Dartford’s lead moments before the break and added a second goal shortly after the restart, following a block from Dan Ferreira. Three Bridges responded quickly with a strike from Ade Adeyinka that reduced the deficit to one. Both sides had further chances, with Dartford’s defense thwarting attempts from the visitors, while goalkeeper Sam Roberts made key saves to keep Dartford in front.

Three Bridges pulled a goal back in the 71st minute through Noel Leighton after a midfield turnover, intensifying the closing stages. However, Dartford’s defensive resilience, including crucial interventions from Paternoster and Tyler Ibe, helped secure the narrow win and progression to the next round.