The tables were turned on Saturday as Staines Town, who have a largely miserable record in the FA Cup, won 4-1 at a Tooting & Mitcham side with a proud heritage dating back to the 1950s.
The Terrors reached last season’s first round before losing 5-0 at Stockport County, but there hopes of a repeat were laid to rest in emphatic style in Saturday’s second qualifying round tie.
Staines almost got off to a flier, as Tooting ‘keeper Butler was forced to punch away a cross from the day’s captain, Scarlett, with Charles-Smith following in to head goalwards, only for a defender to hook the ball off the line.
A quiet period ensued, but in the 20th minute, Staines took a vital lead when Ali Chaaban brought the ball up from midfield and picked out Jacob Walcott, and he in turn unselfishly laid the ball off for André Scarlett to drive the ball into the bottom corner.
Staines did not seem to be unduly stretched at any point in the opening half hour, but the home side did have a good spell in the period leading up to half time. Louis Wells had to beat away a Jason Henry shot that swerved awkwardly in the wind, and when Dan Waldren followed it in, he was flagged offside.
Two minutes later, Wells had to come out of his area and cleared decisively off Phil Williams’ toes.
Tooting also began the second half in determined mood, Waldren rushing through and poking the ball past Wells on 52 minutes – but again he was offside.
But the half really belonged to Swans’ on-loan forward Jacob Walcott, 18, who had a steady but unspectacular début last week, but today really showed what he can do.
On 52 minutes, his cross was volleyed across goal by Chaaban, with the ball striking Scarlett and bouncing just over. And on 59 minutes, he virtually made the game safe with a rather bizarre goal following good work down the left by Griffiths and Chaaban.
They picked out Walcott in space 10 yards out, and he let fly at goal, with defender Hassan Nyang’s block failing to divert the ball away from goal, but it did take enough pace of the ball for him to chase it back towards the line.
However, once he caught up with it, he got two ineffective touches on the ball, and still did not arrest it; the ball crossed the line with Butler stranded, and after weighing up the evidence, it was felt that Walcott’s original strike had probably been on target, and he was therefore credited with the goal.
Walcott went close to another goal just three minutes later, but this time was offside.
Wells was forced to spread himself bravely when Haworth was put through at the other end, then Waldron made space for a Tooting shot but aimed too high.
And on 68 minutes, Staines made it 3-0, a good ball picking out Walcott to sidestep his marker and plant the ball firmly into the corner of the net.
The game’s only booking came on 71 minutes for Tooting sub Hall, in what was a keenly contested but sporting contest by both sets of players, and well refereed by Mr Lavelle.
Swans did have a penalty appeal waved away however when Deen challenged Walcott in the box, but only a corner resulted. Steve Cordery made a rare triple substitution, and for a while Staines looked a little disjointed, Wells having to claim a couple of Haworth shots, before the visitors chalked up a goal that was as unusual as Staines’ second.
A powerful Phil Williams cross seemed to strike defender Richard Orlu – possibly on the arm, which might account for a slow-motion chase back, and with neither Orlu nor Wells able to apprehend it, this one did go down as an 85th minute Orlu own goal.
Staines had a momentary scare, as Nyang tested Wells with a deep free kick, but there was joy for the visitors when Walcott completed his hat-trick in real style 30 seconds into stoppage time.
Scarlett played a great ball up to Walcott just outside the right-hand corner of the box, and he steadied himself and hit a glorious shot that gave Butler no chance as it dipped just under the bar.
Amazingly, there is no record of any Staines player ever scoring a hat-trick in the FA Cup. There are only three untraced candidates – three 4-1 victories (over Harrow Weald, RASC, and Guildford) between 1923 and 1926 whose goalscorers are as yet unknown – but it is quite likely that Walcott has achieved an all-time first for the club, just a week into his loan from Reading.
Staines: Wells; Jackson, Steer, Orlu, Ifura, Charles-Smith (Harris 82), Scarlett, D Brown (Risbridger 82), Griffiths (King 82), Chaaban, Walcott; unused Kamara, Taylor, Courtnage (gk), Sterling.
Tooting: Butler, Henry, Douglas, Gradosieski (Goode 67), Deen, Nyang, Waldren, Evans, Haworth ©, Cox (Hall 55), Williams; unused Garrard, Morgan, Beard.
Ref: P Lavelle (Southampton); ARs S Maynard & C Boyles (both Reading); Att 378.
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