Erith Town secured progression to the second qualifying round following a penalty shootout victory against Cray Valley Paper Mills. The match took place on Saturday, with both teams locked in a closely contested encounter.

Cray Valley opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Enoch Muwonge skillfully maneuvered inside from the left flank before delivering a precise curling shot that beat goalkeeper Harrison Firth in the top corner. Despite the early deficit, Erith Town responded in the second half, equalizing through a headed goal from a free kick, which slipped past Cray Valley’s keeper Harrison Chamberlain.

Throughout the remainder of regular time, both sides created scoring opportunities but were unable to break the deadlock, leading to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. During the shootout, the only miss came from Cray Valley’s Germaine Dua, whose attempt went off target. Erith Town capitalized on this opportunity, with Deven Reid-Solankie converting a decisive fifth penalty, sending his shot powerfully into the left corner and clinching the victory for the Dockers.

The win allows Erith Town to advance further in the competition, continuing their campaign with momentum gained from their resilience and composure under pressure against Cray Valley Paper Mills.