County Ease Through To 2nd Round

County avoided any potential cupset at EP today with a confident performance to brush past Ryman Premier League side Tooting & Mitcham.

Goals from Peter Thompson, David Poole, Paul Turnbull x2 and a Carl Baker spot kick sealed a place in the second round for the Hatters.

It was a harsh lesson for the non-league side – take your chances when they come.

After 10 minutes, striker Simon Parker jinxed away from Michael Rose and got his shot away which trickled past fon Williams at the far post, but Paul Vines couldn’t get a touch on it and the boll rolled wide.

And County made the visitors pay minutes later with a well worked goal in front of the Cheadle End.

Carl Baker weaved his way past two Tooting defenders, and twisted in and out three times before firing his shot away. His effort was parried straight to the feet of Peter Thompson, who couldn’t miss from four yards. Another goal for ‘Pistol Pete’.

To their credit, Tooting continued to work hard and carve out decent chances, but the game was effectively killed halfway through the first half when Michael Rose slipped a neat ball through for David Poole to run onto and smash into the corner of the net via the post.

And it was three before half-time when Thompson was released again, and he got to the ball first before Tooting defender Dean Hamlen, who hacked down the Irish striker and the referee pointed to the spot.

Carl Baker stepped up and the result was inevitable. 3-0, and game over.

The Terrors came out fighting in the second half, and Paul Vines fluffed his lines with a free header from six yards that flew into the Cheadle End.

And again, straight after a chance for Tooting, County went and got another.

Paul Turnbull was lurking on the edge of the area and smashed a loose ball home for 4-0.

In an unfortunate blemish on the superb Tooting fans, there was then a bit of fisticuffs between the Tooting & Mitcham away following which was quickly split up by stewards and the Tooting fans.

The icing on the cake came minutes later when Turnbull again smashed home a loose ball via an unlucky deflection from Hamlen.

That was that, and the brave Tooting & Mitcham side were applauded off by both County and Tooting supporters.

A superb performance by County, even against the underdogs you have to fight, and we did that today – in style.

We’re in the draw for the next round, which is tomorrow live on ITV1 – Staines Town again? Surely not?!