Horsham FC delighted to avoid FA Trophy ‘banana skin’ as Jack Strange double sinks ten-man Larkhall Athletic

Jack Strange’s double helped the Hornets advance at the expense of the ten-man Larks. The defender’s brace of headers saw Horsham run out 2-1 winners at a rain-lashed Plain Ham.

Harvey Pritchard netted a late consolation goal for Larkhall, who saw Sam Bolton sent off midway through the second half

Di Paola said: “The pitch was really bad, but it was through no fault of their own. They had a lot of rain and wanted to get the game played.

“It was a huge banana skin because you just couldn’t play any football on it. For us and the way we play, it was a bit of a problem. But it was a great win, to be honest. It was a really good win.”

The Hornets will visit Poole Town or Bracknell Town in the second round on Saturday, November 18.

The two sides will meet at Bracknell next week to decide who will play Horsham after the original tie at Poole was postponed twice due to a waterlogged pitch.

Reflecting on the draw, Di Paola said: “We would have preferred a home time but that’s quite literally the luck of the draw! You just have to accept it.

“It’s going to be a tough game. I think both were tipped for promotion this year, so it’s going to be a hard one away from home. But we’re in good form and we’re playing well.”