FA CUP FIRST ROUND DRAW, BBC MONDAY 16th OCTOBER 7PM

The draw for the First Round of this years Emirates FA Cup will be made later on tonight, another sure sign that Winter is soon to be upon us. While we are currently struggling in the league it will be good to mount a reasonable Cup run for a change as I'm still suffering at work from the defeat last season to Sutton United. 

There are 80 Numbers in the "hat" for the first round proper, the draw is live on BBC Two at 7pm hosted by Mark Chapman, Lynsey Hipgrave will supervise the draw with Dean Saunders and Kelly Smith drawing the numbers. Plenty of non league interest and stories from amongst the 32 sides that have made it from qualifying, these include Truro FC who managed a 2-0 success against Hampton and Richmond which ensured they became the first Cornish club to reach the first round of the FA Cup since 1969.

The three lowest ranked sides are from tier eight and are Northern Premier League outfit Hyde United who booked their place with a 2-0 away victory at Scarborough Athletic. Ossett Town, from the same league, are in the hat following a 1-1 draw at National League Solihull Moors and are joined by Isthmian League Division One North side Heybridge Swifts after their 4-2 win at Haringey Borough.

AFC Wimbledon are ball No.2. A home draw would also be nice for a change, and I just hope we avoid the Franchise scum for obvious reasons, in fact I wouldn't mind hosting Aldershot (Ball No.66) perhaps.

The Full 1st round draw will appear here during the evening as the ties are confirmed ... matches to be played over the period of 3rd - 6th November.

Stevenage	vs	Nantwich Town or Kettering Town
Bradford City	vs	Chesterfield
Port Vale	vs	Oxford United
Newport County	vs	Walsall
Morecambe	vs	Hartlepool United
Yeovil Town	vs	Southend United
Peterborough United	vs	Tranmere Rovers
Cambridge United	vs	Sutton United
Forest Green Rovers	vs	Macclesfield Town
AFC Fylde	vs	Kidderminster Harriers
Luton Town	vs	Portsmouth
Shrewsbury Town	vs	Aldershot Town
Hereford	vs	AFC Telford
Guisley	vs	Accrington Stanley
Blackburn Rovers	vs	Barnet
East Thurrock United or Ebblesfleet	vs	Doncaster Rovers
Leatherhead	vs	Brackley Town or Billericay Town
Boreham Wood	vs	Blackpool
Shaw Lane Assoc	vs	Mansfield Town
Colchester United	vs	Oxford City
Plymouth Argyle	vs	Grimsby Town
AFC Wimbledon	vs	Lincoln City
Rochdale	vs	Dover Athletic or Bromley
Coventry City	vs	Maidenhead United
Chorley or Boston United	vs	Fleetwood Town
Carlisle United	vs	Oldham Athletic
Notts County	vs	Bristol Rovers
Dartford	vs	Swindon Town
Cheltenham Town	vs	Maidstone United or Enfield Town
Woking or Concord Rangers	vs	Bury
Crewe Alexandra	vs	Rotherham United
Gillingham	vs	Dagenham and Redbridge or Leyton Orient
Hythe United	vs	MK Franchise
Gainsborough Trinity	vs	Slough Town
Solihull Moors or Osset Town	vs	Wycombe Wanderers
Northampton Town	vs	Scunthorpe United
Charlton Athletic	vs	Truro City
Wigan Athletic	vs	Crawley Town
Gateshead	vs	Bath City or Chelmsford City
Exeter City	vs	Heybridge Swifts

AT LAST A WIN. NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0 -- 1 AFC WIMBLEDON

It's been a long wait, but we finally scored a goal and win away today, it's our first win in twelve attempts against Northampton since our reformation too. The win, together with it's 3 points. was more important today as other teams above us also won and we don't want to be cut adrift even at this early stage of the campaign. The performance was also not that great either but we stuck it out, kept a clean sheet and the win secured by a Harry Forrester strike on 61 minutes beating Matt Ingram in the Northampton goal.

HARRY CELEBRATING HIS WINNING GOAL. 

A game of few clear cut chances and still plenty to improve on before we play again on Tuesday night (vs Rotherham) back at Kingsmeadow. Still in the bottom four, on goal difference, and it's the goals for column that must improve as we appear capable of keeping clean sheets at times. Tuesday will be difficult as Rotherham are currently 4th in the league and won 2-0 at home against Scunthorpe too though in recent seasons we have tended to do better against the teams in the top part of the table. 

Apparently 500+ Wombles made the trip, well done to them, now have a good weekend and we'll go again on Tuesday night. 

KEMPTON PARK RACES 2017 -- WEDNESDAY NIGHTS #27 11th OCTOBER

Welcome to our twenty seventh meeting of 2017 here at Kempton Park and after last weeks loss we have a bigger deficit to overcome and come into this week with a sum of -35.42 points to level stakes at SP. We are into the last three months of this year long blog and whatever happens will reset on Jan 1 and go again into 2018. 

As we continue to focus on the handicap contests for each meeting we will also occasionally include a feature listed or conditions event too. Keeping records of our endeavours to a 1pt level stake at SP, naturally we will personally be looking to get better odds but for the purpose of these results here we simply record to SP returns.

We will keep up with our occasional lay opportunities of short priced favourites too, we were not successful with our last pair of selections last time sadly, both were winning favs and undeterred we will see if there is another selection for tonight. Naturally we will keep these results separately from the handicap figures. 

This Wednesday is our twenty seventh meeting for 2017 and we are expecting an eight race card tonight with five handicaps to enjoy, tonight's action will commence at 17:20 with division one of the 7f Handicap. 

Here's a link to this Wednesday's race card; RACECARD

The going on the polytrack surface is described as 'standard' and the current weather forecast is for a cloudy day with a chance of some rain, expecting a max temperature of about 17C when the meeting gets underway.

Our eight race card tonight now has five handicap contests for us to review following the division of the 7f handicap event so will be a busy night, there might even be a lay bet but that will be updated later;

17:20 -- 7f Handicap (Div One).
The opening race is the first division of the 7f handicap and the second division will be our finale tonight. A max field of fourteen are declared here and we take the pair of FREDDY WITH A Y [8th 14/1] and BANTA BAY [6th 8/1] against the field in a low key opener. 

18:25 -- 7f Handicap.
Slightly better quality than the opener here but another 14 to choose from, Jamie Osborne does ok with his handicappers here and MONTEVERDI [2nd 9/2] won last time up on the beach at Laytown in Ireland last month off this same mark so is worth a go at 12/1. 

And another recent winner albeit a Windsor maiden is SPINNAKA [Non Runner] who having several places previously might remember what it takes to get her head in front and has Jamie Spencer to assist. 

19:25 -- 1m 2f 219y Handicap.
While the Godolphin outfit are in decent form it might pay to side with ENNJAAZ [2nd 15/2] off a low weight and a good 3lb claimer in David Egan too. A similar profile to that of AIRWAY [9th 6/1] as they both won maidens at Chelmsford too and are not exposed here tonight. 

20:25 -- 6f Handicap.
The inform ATLANTA BELLE [Non Runner] is a course winner and recent second and hasn't shot up the weights so can be given a chance in this company to win again. Though a maiden in a handicap isn't usually my plan the lightly raced EXQUISITE RUBY [5th 10/3] has been placed off this sort of mark and with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle should be close. 

20:55 -- 7f Handicap (Div Two).
The second division of the class six handicap will see us off tonight, PRINCE JAI [LAY - Lost 7th!!] looks the likely favourite here after couple of wins at Chelmsford, this is different and while clearly in good form we will swerve this at short odds and look for other options hopefully with course experience. 

Top weight MAGIC MIRROR [2nd 4/1] has that course and distance experience and also the assistance of top lady jockey Josephine Gordon, and we put that one with AYE AYE SKIPPER [Non Runner] who has 3lb female apprentice Hollie Doyle and an each way price tonight. 

Staked -- 10 points.
Returns -- 3 points. [Only the three non runners sadly]

Results will appear later tonight. Currently we have a deficit of -35.42 points that we bring forward to this round of racing, this is now increased again to -42.42.

LAYS -- After last week's successful lay we now stand at 10 from 17 for this season, just 7 wrong all at short odds, will try to get a few more favourites beaten before the end of the season. 

Will update later, but expecting to Lay PRINCE JAI in the finale at 20:55 - LOST 7th 9/4F. Also taking on WINE LIST in the 18:55 maiden - but that one Won 6/4F, damn you. 

Lays are 11 correct from 19 now.

Our next meeting here at Kempton Park will be in a weeks time on Wednesday 18th October.