'In with a chance': Slough Town book FA Cup clash with Altrincham or Harborough Town

Jaiden Drakes-Thomas celebrates his late winner on Saturday. Photo credit: Zak Rana

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Slough Town will host either Altrincham FC or Harborough Town in the first round of the FA Cup at Arbour Park in early November after battling back to beat Enfield Town 3-2 on Saturday.

Jaiden Drakes-Thomas swept home a dramatic 92nd minute winner to bring down the Towners, who led 2-1 at the interval having taken the lead through Ollie Knight inside the first minute.

A frantic yet entertaining final qualifying round tie ebbed and flowed over the course of the 90 minutes, with the visitors seemingly on top when Henry Hawkins headed them into a 2-1 lead on the stroke of half-time - minutes after the Rebels had seen their captain Henry Ochieng and goal scorer Ruben Bartlett-Antwi forced off with injuries.

However, the resilient Rebels - stripped of many first team starters - dragged their way back into the contest, with Wiktor Makowski scoring a controversial equaliser midway through the half before Drakes-Thomas came off the bench to net their injury-time winner.

Player manager Scott Davies said afterwards the feeling of getting through topped anything he’d felt across his 750-match career for multiple clubs.

He’ll fancy their chances of causing more problems for either National League Altrincham or Southern League Premier Central leaders Harborough when the tie takes place at Arbour Park across the weekend of Saturday, November 1.

Those sides played out a 2-2 draw in Altrincham on Saturday, with Harborough netting a 100th minute equaliser through Eliot Putman. Altrincham appeared to be cruising into the first round when Kahrel Reddin (38’) and Jimmy Knowles (50’) put them two goals to the good. But Connor Kennedy reduced the deficit in the 87th minute before Putman rescued a replay deep into stoppage time.

They will replay at the Harborough Town Community Football Ground this evening (Tuesday).

Altrincham currently sit just outside of the relegation zone in 20th place in the National League, while Harborough won’t be a pushover for Slough either if they get through. They currently lead the way in the Southern League Premier Central.

It’s perhaps not the glamour tie players and supporters were hoping for against one of the bigger EFL clubs. but it does represent a decent chance for the Rebels to progress to the second round on their own patch.

Davies posted last night: “Will be a tough game against either side for different reasons but to be in the first-round proper on our patch is something that we will take for sure.

“In with a chance. Just hope we can pack the park for this one.”

Slough had a large crowd of more than 1,200 people for Saturday’s final qualifying round tie and will be hoping more fans come to see them as they look to battle for a place in the second round.

League 1 side Reading enter the competition at this stage and the Royals have been drawn at home to National League side Carlisle.

Shown live on TNT Sports last night (Monday), the draw saw clubs from EFL League 1 and 2 teams join the competition. The draw was made by former West Ham striker Michail Antonio and Joel Ward, who was part of the Crystal Palace squad who won the Cup last season.

There will 40 ties in total, with the full schedule and broadcast picks to be confirmed in due course.

Winning clubs at this stage of the competition will receive £45,000 from the 2025-26 prize fund, with losing teams also picking up £15,000.

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The Draw

1 Weston Super Mare v Aldershot Town

2 Salford City v Lincoln City

3 Luton Town v Worthing or Forest Green Rovers

4 Gainsborough Trinity or Hartlepool United v Accrington Stanley

5 Colchester United v MK Dons

6 Tranmere Rovers v Stockport County

7 Wigan Athletic v Hemel Hempstead Town

8 Newport County v Gillingham

9 Cheltenham Town v Bradford City

10 Barnsley v York City

11 Reading v Carlisle United

12 Bromley v Bristol Rovers

13 Peterborough United v Cardiff City

14 Oldham Athletic v Northampton Town

15 Crewe Alexandra v Doncaster Rovers

16 Tamworth v Leyton Orient

17 Stevenage v Chesterfield

18 Boreham Wood v Crawley Town

19 Farnham Town or Sutton United v AFC Telford United

20 Bolton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town

21 Chelmsford City v Braintree Town

22 Spennymoor Town v Barrow

23 Wycombe Wanderers v Plymouth Argyle

24 FC Halifax Town v Exeter City

25 Slough Town v Altrincham or Harborough Town

26 Wealdstone v Southend United

27 Rotherham United v Swindon Town

28 Grimsby Town v Ebbsfleet United

29 Buxton v Chatham Town

30 Burton Albion v Banbury United or St Albans City

31 Woking or Brackley Town v Notts County

32 Blackpool v Scunthorpe United

33 Cambridge United v Morecambe or Chester

34 AFC Wimbledon v Gateshead

35 Mansfield Town v Harrogate Town

36 Macclesfield v AFC Totton or Truro City

37 South Shields v Shrewsbury Town

38 Fleetwood Town v Barnet

39 Port Vale v Maldon & Tiptree

40 Eastleigh v Walsall