Oaks returns to capacity but AFC Uckfield Town edged out in FA Cup opener

For their official debut as Uckers co-managers, Graeme Mintrim and Steve Ives named a side featuring a balance of experience and youth, and it was they who had the better of the opening stages; a Jack Samways corner producing a chance to score as Dan Perry’s first-time finish was cleared by a far post Common defender.

Common, in Russell Eldridge’s tenth season in charge, responded with a testing spell of pressure as Lewis Parsons headed a Kian Moynes corner narrowly wide, preceding promising efforts from Sam Ellis and Paul Feakins.

In a rather open end to the half, defensive errors allowed Matt Black, and then Common’s Lewis Hole, in for decent opportunities, only for each chance to be smothered by a recovering backline.

In a delayed start to the second half, the visitors were in the ascendancy as Tibble was drawn into a double save to stop Ellis and Hole, before an even better effort to improbably turn a Hole finish round his post at point-blank range.

Those heroics could not continue, and in the 53rd minute the deadlock was broken as Moynes whipped in another corner, finding defender Ryan Alexander for a bullet header past Tibble.

When Moynes almost made it two by forcing Tibble into a spectacular tip over the bar, the Uckers rang the changes to positive effect, as Sam Carrington teed up Lloyd Francis to be felled in the box before two crosses to Perry were narrowly fired off-target.

Pragmatic Common defending and rushed Uckers attacking saw time elapse quickly after that, with a Sam Cash header from a corner the best chance saved by Matt Cruttwell, and the visitors secured progress upon full-time.

AFC Uckfield Town: Tibble, Cash, Zabadne, Ridley (Plummer, 57’), Hover, Tear, Francis, Samways (Vale, 78’), Perry (C), Black, Page (Carrington, 57’)

Unused: Duncan, Lee, Kirk-Patrick, Platt

Little Common FC: Cruttwell, Clarke, Weeks (Miriam-Batchelor, 60’), Ward, Alexander (Eldridge, 78’), Parsons, Moynes, Feakins, Hole (C), Richardson, Ellis (Warren, 78’)

Unused: Smith