FA Cup preliminary round

Chipstead 4

Whyteleafe 3

THIS derby cup game gave the crowd everything they were hoping for; fast paced football, a feisty game and goals galore, but left Nicky English admitting he has "a lot of work to do" on his Whyteleafe side.

English, who had not seen his team record a win in Ryman League Division One South this season before this game, is happy to concentrate on the league.

"Of course I am disappointed, but I'm not disappointed at being out of the FA Cup at this point in time because it's clear we have a lot of work to do to make this squad strong enough to do well in the league," he reflected.

"Both sides had their moments, but really both sides were poor, which is why it was so entertaining for the crowd because there was so many mistakes for both sides. Obviously at 3-2 up, missing two chances that were basically tap ins was disappointing.

"So we move on and I really am interested in the league. We basically threw the game away today. We were the better team for large portions of the match. We were winning, we missed silly chances and then I made a substitution thinking that they would change to four at the back and I don't think they even knew the substitution went on and two minutes later Chipstead are winning 4-3. They didn't read my pattern of understanding but sometimes that happens."

And despite spending many seasons at Chipstead, English feels no loyalties.

"I've done my time up here [High Road]. I like Chipstead, they are alright and I hope they do well but I just see them as any other club now. They've got no holds or ties or loyalties to me and I really haven't for them." he laughed.

Chipstead boss Mark Tompkins believes his side have gained local bragging rights for now.

"It was a game of errors. We went down to Ramsgate and were very solid defensively there but today we were very open at the back," Tompkins explained.

"Just getting through is all that matters in the cup, but Whyteleafe have a few ex-Chipstead players, and the ex-manager, so it spices the game up a bit. We've got the bragging rights for a couple of weeks until we meet in the league."

Chipstead looked every inch the home team in the opening minutes, with Ray Freeman forcing giant keeper Rob O'Hara to save down low before the Chips went ahead on nine minutes after Dominic O'Shea turned away from his defender and put the ball in the bottom left corner.

In a physical battle, Ellis Conroy saw a free-kick collected by O'Hara before Gareth Graham's free-kick at the other end gave Leafe's huge centre-forward Darren Watson a chance but he was unable to get his header on target.

On 24 minutes it was 1-1 after Alec Brown placed his header well from another free-kick by Graham. Just five minutes later Whyteleafe found themselves in the lead when Watson failed to connect to a cross by Josh Smith, but after keeper Martin Grant spilled the ball Chris O'Flaherty was on hand to put the ball away from close range.

No sooner were they ahead, than it was level again when, while Dean Gunner was on the sidelines receiving treatment, Freeman fired past O'Hara with ease.

Just before the break Chipstead's Lee Coburn buckled under the pressure of an open goal and shot wide in front of the large High Road crowd. Within minutes of the restart the visitors were ahead again when Brown lobbed the advancing Grant.

Keen to get in on the act, Coburn then did the seemingly impossible and lobbed 6ft 8ins keeper O'Hara to level again.

On the hour mark O'Flaherty got his second and the game's seventh goal to seal the win for the Chips.

Chipstead: Grant, Bedford, Chattaway, Hollingsworth, Cartlidge (Morrison), Moody (Grizzle), Matthews, Conroy (Thompson), Coburn, O'Shea, Freeman. Unused subs: Hibbert, Gant.

Whyteleafe: O'Hara, Aldous, Frith, Strip (Rutherford), Coleman, Graham (Gnamore), Gunner, Brown, Smith, Watson (Drake), O'Flaherty. Unused subs: Ogunseye, Mitchell.