If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try, Try, Try again...Wait, What? NO!

But wait? All that trying could be for nothing. Non league Droylsden beat Chesterfield in the FA Cup second round last night at the 4th attempt, but today it appears they fielded an ineligible player. Doh! This tie has been an epic saga, worthy of a rolling Star Wars title screen. Join me after the jump for a breakdown.

Take 1
On the 29th of November the non-league players of Droylsden were excited to face League Two Chesterfield in the second round of the cup but the tie was abandoned at half-time due to fog, with Droyslden 1 up on their league opponents.

Take 2
The rescheduled tie took place on the 9th of December. And boy there was controversy. At 1-1 Chesterfield did not give the ball back to Droylsden after the non league team had booted it out for an injury stoppage. Jack Lester lobbed the keeper to take the lead. The furious protests stopped the game and after lots of banter the home side agreed the goal was a low blow and let Droylsden's Steve Halford stroll down the park and pop the ball into the net to level the game. It finished 2-2.

Take 3
16th of December. Back to Droylsden for another replay. Chesterfield were two goals to the good through Jack Lester and Darren Currie when the floodlights failed on 70 mins.

"There's far more visibility here now then there was two weeks ago when we played 45 minutes. The referee will probably hide behind safety regulations, which is fair enough, but there were only 19 minutes left to play. Could we have got to the end of the game without any incident if both teams had agreed? I think we probably could."
- Chesterfield manager Lee Richardson.

Take 4
December 23rd. Sean Newton put Droylsden ahead. Jack Lester levelled on 35. But the nights star man Newton scored from the spot to give the non-leaguers the lead. Lester was dismissed on 84 mins for using an elbow and Droylsden went on to win, making them the 8th non-league team to make the third round this year and setting up a possible giant killing opportunity with Ip..Ip..Ip..them at Portaloo Road on the 3rd of January.


Sean Newton scores from the spot last night.

BUT WAIT......

Newton was apparently ineligible to play! Last nights double goal scorer should have been serving a suspension last night after picking up his 5th booking during take 2 back on the 9th.

Bury were expelled from the competition in 2006 for the same issue and the FA are now investigating whether or not Newton should have been in the stands, but it seems pretty clear cut. The FA communicated the ban with Droylsden on the 10th of December and the part-timers confirmed the ban on the 14th. Someone really dropped the ball with this one. But lets be honest, a non-league team doesn't have a paid secretary to deal with the FA and keep track of all the administrative paper work, so I feel for them, but the rules are the rules. So After 4 games it looks as if Chesterfield will be heading to Suffolk in January.

Should Droylsden be booted, 7 other non-leage teams will be representing part-time football in the third round of the historic cup competition.

Kidderminster Harriers head to Coventry.
Forest Green host Derby County.
Histon are at home to Swansea.
Kettering play Eastwood Town.
Barrow head to Middlesbrough for a shot at the Premier League boys.
Torquay will be at home to Blackpool.
Blyth Spartans head to Sam Allardyce's Blackburn.

Good luck to all of the above, their inclusion in the third round is what makes the FA Cup the greatest cup tournament in the World. Among that lot surely a fairy tale result will emerge. Just ask Yeovil, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wycombe, Harlow or Sutton United.

All ties are played on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of January.

-Bigus