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Alton 0 - 2 Yateley United (FA Cup: Extra Preliminary Round Replay)

13 Aug 2026

Match report by Ian Hall

Two first half goals for Yateley’s centre forward Nathan Connolly were enough to see off Alton in Tuesday night’s frantic FA cup replay, a match that was poor in quality if high in goal attempts.

After 367 had turned out at Yateley, 364 made it to the Exclusive Networks but perhaps the three absentees had foreseen events, for Alton never threatened to match their dominant performance from the weekend.

Yateley, who made four changes - three of the players who came on in the first tie now starting along with the returning Connolly - took less than five minutes to register three chances, having only managed two in the entire match on Saturday. The best of those saw Connolly beat Ed Dryden to a bouncing long ball and fire just wide of the far post.

Alton, were forced into an early change when Reece Mather suffered an ankle injury after he had come in for Argjend Ahmetaj in the defensive midfield role and perhaps this contributed to an open game where neither side achieved any sort of control. Alton should have taken the lead when David Garlinge broke down the left and put in a perfect cross for Zac Nash but the striker miscued from 6 yards.

Matt Benham and Tom Hill both had headed chances from Jamal Branker’s dangerous in-swinging corners but it was the visitors who took the lead on 30 minutes after Alton got caught out of position having given the ball away and Yateley ruthlessly exploited the gaps to give Connolly a tap in.

Yateley could have had a second when Tommy Whitby’s through ball put Connolly in on goal but Aiden Upward was out smartly to smother the shot. Whitby, who had a good match, was then in action at the other end with a vital covering tackle when the visitors looked stretched but when another Alton move broke down, Yateley exploited the space behind to set up Connolly again and this time his shot squirmed under Upward.

After the break Alton tried to raise the tempo but they couldn’t sustain any momentum and both sides abandoned possession and traded attacks, largely without troubling either keeper although Hugo Sobte was forced into a smart save to deny Emmanuel Acheampong a dramatic introduction to the home fans. Connolly who had already been booked, was very fortunate to escape a second yellow and was immediately substituted, the ref then consolidating his popularity by dishing out a soft booking for an innocuous challenge.

With enough time on the clock Alton had a glorious chance to get back into the match when Callum Kenny headed over but in truth there never looked like being a repeat of the weekend’s come back.

Upward, Phillips (Wotton 75), McLean, Garlinge, Dryden, Mather (Staunton 20), Darwysh (Kenny 82) , Benham, Branker (Acheampong 59), Nash, Hill (Patterson 75)

Next game: Alton vs Badshot Lea in The FA Vase at home, The Exclusive Networks Stadium, this Saturday 15th August. Kick off 3pm.