STRATFORD Town are out of the FA Cup at the first qualifying round stage following a 2-1 defeat against Spalding United.
The Bards fell behind to James Clifton’s early goal before Charlie Williams levelled at the start of the second period before the former scored again late on to upset Stratford at the Arden Garages Stadium.
Spalding ply their trade one level below Stratford at step four in the Northern Premier League Midlands division.
And after Bards striker Riley O’Sullivan forced Spalding stopper Tony Breeden into the game’s first save, Clifton fired the visitors into the lead on 10 minutes with a sensational free-kick into the top right corner from 30-yards out.
Gavin Hurren’s side continued to be denied by Breeden before Williams equalised on 49 minutes at the back post from O’Sullivan’s cross.
However, Clifton won the cup tie for Spalding on 81 minutes with a header that crept inside the post from Wilson Carvalho’s perfectly-weighted cross.
Stratford are next in action at home to AFC Sudbury on Saturday, September 9 with kick-off at 3pm at the Arden Garages Stadium.
