A stoppage-time winner at Whyteleafe took Crowborough Athletic into the FA Cup second qualifying round, away at National League South Hampton on Saturday.
Crowborough Athletic are still in the FA Cup, and three wins from the first round proper. A goal in the 92nd minute won their first qualifying round replay 3-2 at AFC Whyteleafe, and on Saturday 19 September they travel to Hampton & Richmond Borough, a club two steps above them in the pyramid. Kick-off is 3pm. (Crowborough Athletic FC, match centre)
The comeback
Crowborough had to win it twice. The club’s own goal-by-goal record of the replay on Wednesday 9 September reads:
- 51 minutes: Harry Forster scores. Crowborough lead 1-0.
- 61 minutes: Francis Mampolo equalises for Whyteleafe. 1-1.
- 65 minutes: Mannie Mensah puts Whyteleafe ahead. 2-1.
- 71 minutes: an own goal by Whyteleafe levels it. 2-2.
- 90+2 minutes: Elliot Duncan scores the winner. 2-3.
The club named Martin Grant its star player. (Crowborough Athletic FC, match centre)
Duncan has now scored in both meetings. It was his penalty eight minutes from time that earned the 1-1 draw at home on 5 September and forced the replay.
Saturday’s tie, and the gap in class
Hampton & Richmond Borough play in the Vanarama National League South, as their own site shows. Crowborough Athletic play in the Isthmian League South East Division. That is two steps of the National League System between them, and the widest gap Crowborough have faced in this run. Whyteleafe, beaten over two legs, were one step above.
The tie is at Hampton’s Beveree Stadium, postcode TW12 2BX, at Hampton in south-west London. It is an away trip of some distance, not a local fixture.
One practical warning comes from Crowborough’s own fixture entry, which carries a two-word note alongside the fixture: Ultra Low Emission Zone. The ground is inside the ULEZ, so anyone driving in a non-compliant vehicle faces the daily charge on top of the journey. Check your registration on Transport for London’s vehicle checker before setting off.
What the round is worth
The FA pays through every qualifying round, and at this level the money changes what a club can do. From the published prize fund for 2026-27:
| Round | Winners | Losers |
|---|---|---|
| Extra preliminary | £1,125 | £375 |
| Preliminary | £1,444 | £481 |
| First qualifying | £2,250 | £750 |
| Second qualifying | £3,375 | £1,125 |
| Third qualifying | £5,625 | £1,875 |
(The FA, Emirates FA Cup prize fund)
Crowborough have won three rounds, so the run has already paid £4,819 from the prize fund: £1,125 for beating Guernsey, £1,444 for beating Epsom & Ewell and £2,250 for beating Whyteleafe. Saturday is worth £3,375 if they win and £1,125 if they lose, so the club banks something either way.
The league is the harder job
The cup run is not masking a good league season. On Tuesday 15 September Crowborough lost 1-3 at home to AFC Croydon Athletic, and their opening month included a 4-3 defeat at Hastings United and a 0-2 home defeat by South Park. The home league game against Erith Town on 5 September was postponed. (Crowborough Athletic FC, fixtures and results)
What it means for you
- Saturday 19 September, 3pm, at Hampton & Richmond Borough, Beveree Stadium, TW12 2BX. It is an away tie, so there is nothing on at Fermor Road.
- If you drive, check the ULEZ first. The club flags it on the fixture itself.
- The trains are not the answer this week. The Uckfield line is running a reduced service with the last direct train out of London Bridge at 17:07, so a rail trip across London and back the same day is awkward. See our report on the evening cancellations.
- Non-league fixtures move. Check the club’s own fixture page on the morning of the game rather than this article.
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