FA Cup agony for Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted

Hemel were beaten 3-1 at National League North side Peterborough Sports.

The hosts took the lead thanks to a former Tudors player, Ky Marsh-Brown putting Sports in front just eight minutes in.

A free header for Ryan Fryatt from a corner then doubled the lead on 20 minutes, before Marsh-Brown got his second not long after half-time.

Jordan Greenidge pulled a goal back with 17 minutes left but the task was too much for Hemel to overcome.

Boss Mark Jones said: “It was a very flat performance from us. We struggled to get ourselves going for some reason and I just can’t put my finger on it.

"We didn’t arrive at the ground until after 2.20pm so it wasn’t an ideal start but we don’t want to make excuses, we didn’t perform well enough and our decision-making was poor.

"We knew they’d be big and physical and I could have brought a bit more physicality into our team but we’ve been on a good run and what we tried to do didn’t come off.”

Hemel, four unbeaten in the National League South, go to Slough Town on Saturday.

Jones added: “Slough are going very well at the moment, they’re a decent side and we’ve got to get our game right if we want to try and take anything from that game.”

Berkhamstead, meanwhile, also bowed out in the third qualifying round as they were beaten 2-0 at Banbury United, ending a run that had taken out Ware, Witham Town and Concord Rangers.

First half shots from Lynton Goss and Ryan Neufville were kept out by Jack Harding in the United goal. At the other end home man-of-the-match Georgio Rasulo shot just past the metalwork while Ryan Blake and Jonathan Lacey were off target as the visitors pressed.

After a half-time rollicking, United began to show why they are two divisions higher. Trickery on the left wing produced a cross from the byline and Josh Dugmore arrived at the back post to tap it in and open the scoring.

Then Rasulo produced a long ball up the right hand side to beat the offside trap and Henry Landers was able to run free and smash a shot past Craig Hill as he cut in.

Berko were unable to eat into the two goal lead but can hold their heads high after a battling performance.