Hanwell Town equalled their best ever performance in the FA Cup with their 2-1 win against Burgess Hill Town on Saturday (19 September 2026).
Brilliant second half finishes from Jordan Esprit and Henry Snee mean the Geordies will enter tomorrow’s Third Qualifying Round draw.
Esprit was in an audacious mood all afternoon. Shortly after the break, his speculative effort from the corner of the penalty area had already hit the post. But his 57th minute half-volley will go down as a goal-of-the-season contender.
Burgess Hill will rue some missed chances to equalise. A Hanwell defensive error facilitated good chances for Chris Whelpdale and Charlie Lambert; Ben Pope hit the post just after the hour mark; and then Geordie keeper, Sam Beasant, pulled off a superb double save.
As the game ticked into injury time though, Dan Carr threaded the ball to Snee whose lovely curled finish fired the home side into what should have been a comfortable 2-0 position. Carr then had a chance to score himself but directed his shot just wide of the post.
To their credit, Burgess Hill kept pressing and in the 93rd minute, even managed to halve the deficit through Shamir Fenelon’s close-range finish.
The Geordies deservedly clung on though and now look forward to next Saturday’s FA Trophy clash against Enfield Town.
Hanwell Town: Beasant (c), Nditi, Sankoh, Olymuyiwa, Duncan, Seabrook (33′ Carr), Cooper, Knight, Esprit (77′ Green), Joseph (73′ Turner), Snee. Unused subs: George, Tomlinson, Oke Williams, Shaker.
Burgess Hill Town: Rees, Morrison, Ward, Williams, Cocoracchio, Rowe, Lawson (76′ Fenelon), Beckford (c) (57′ Vorster), Whelpdale, Lambert (62′ Pope), Ekoudou. Unused subs: Yorke-Johnson, King, Rusoke, Rhodes.
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