Town came away from Rivacre Park with a comfortable victory over Vauxhall Motors.
Dan Clayton started instead of the injured Danny Forrest and he almost gave Town an early lead when Leon Clowes nearly sliced his cross into his own goal,forcing Zac Jones into a fine save.
It took almost twenty minutes for Motors to threaten,and Craig McGillivray did well to tip a Clowes shot from Mike Burns’ free kick over the bar.
Town,with Shane Killock and Alan White outstanding in defence,shackled the home forwards and Jones was far the busier keeper,saving well from Tom Platt and Chib Chilaka.
It was Platt who broke the deadlock after forty minutes when he headed in from a Dave Merris corner.
The game was won and lost in the first ten minutes of the second half.
Firstly,Motor’s Tom Rutter shot home after the Town defence failed to clear a corner,only for Platt to bag his second when he slid in another Merris corner at the far post.
Almost immediately,Vauxhall’s Clowes was sent off for a second bookable offence after a foul on Clayton.
Paul Beesley soon exploited Town’s numerical advantage when he broke through the middle to exquisitely chip Jones from the edge of the area,to the delight of Town’s travelling support.
At times ,the game took on the air of an exhibition match,as Town,with Adam Bolder and Luke Dean dominant in midfield,had the lion’s share of possession.
A late flurry by Vauxhall when the dangerous Craig Mahon went close and Chris Noone shot over,faded out,leaving Town in the 1st Round Proper of the F A Trophy and £4000 richer.
Town 1 McGillivray 2 Samuels 3 Merris 4 Bolder 5 White (c) 6 Killock 7 Platt (Bolland 74) 8 Dean 9 Chilaka 10 Beesley (Allan 85) 11 Clayton (Elam 74)
Unused subs 16 Nowakowski 17 Bloomer Booking Samuels
Scorers Platt 41,53 Beesley 59
Attendance 131
