ZAC McEachran scored a hat-trick as Oxford City eased into the today's third qualifying round draw of the Emirates FA Cup with a 5-0 victory over Cray Valley Paper Mills at Court Place Farm.

Mark Jones’s side scarcely stepped out of second gear as they comfortably dispatched the South East Counties League side, from Kent.

The hosts took the lead in the 14th minute when Kabongo Tshimanga netted with a fierce, dipping drive from outside the penalty area.

A second goal followed within two minutes, McEachran working a slick one-two with Matt Paterson before finishing confidently.

Paterson added his name to the scoresheet ten minutes before the break, McEachran playing a great ball into the striker’s path to set up a routine finish from inside the box.

Cray refused to roll over in the second half, but City made it 4-0 just after the hour when Paterson again set up McEachran, who hit a bobbling shot under the diving keeper.

The midfielder completed his hat-trick, converting Eddie Jones’s cross from the right, while Tshimanga’s late penalty miss could not take the gloss off City’s most convincing competitive victory for two years.

Oxford City: King, Jones, Jefford, Ashby, Godwin-Malife (Carter 73), Oastler (c), McEachran, Fleet, Paterson (Fasanmade 73), Tshimanga, Wiltshire (Stewart 61). Subs not used: Caro, Ruddick, Krasniqi.

Attendance: 142.

A super strike from Brett Gardner earned Didcot Town a notable 1-1 draw away to Hitchin Town.

The 18-year-old scored his third FA Cup goal of the season to take the Canaries back to a replay at the Loop Meadow Stadium tomorrow night.

The hosts, who play a level above Didcot in Premier Division Central of the Evo-Stik South League, took the lead after Sam Barder’s pass was cut out by Trey Charles, who was pulled down by Lewis Hayden.

Matt Spring’s resultant free-kick was headed in to the top corner by Charlie Thake.

The Railwaymen were soon level.

Callum McNish and Morgan Williams put pressure on the hosts’ back line and after Seth Humphries’s cross was not cleared, Gardner netted with a well-struck volley.

The second half saw Didcot spend a large period under pressure and keeper Leigh Bedwell had to be on top form to deny Thake.

The Railwaymen had a late chance to win it, but Morgan Williams’s free-kick was well saved by Hitchin keeper Michael Johnson.

Didcot Tn: Bedwell, Barder, McNeill, Hayden, Carnell, Learoyd, Gardner (Reid, 71), McNish, Woodley, Humphries (Thomas 84), Williams, (Woodley, 89). Subs not used: Cattell, Crowther, Isaac, Murphy.

Attendance: 298.

Banbury United bowed out with a 2-0 defeat at home to Bath City.

Two first-half goals from the Vanarama National League South side’s Ross Stearn settled the tie.

They took the lead after 32 minutes when home keeper Jack Harding did well to parry a shot from Adam Mann, but Stearn was on hand to fire the rebound home.

The striker delivered the killer goal two minutes before the break, shooting home past an unsighted Harding after Banbury failed to clear a corner.

In the second half, the Puritans had plenty of possession but few chances, and their poor day was summed up late on when Lee Henderson was sent off for a second yellow card.

Banbury Utd: Harding; Hawtin, Martin (Awadh 78), Finch, Wise, Henderson, Bell (Ngathe HT), Self, Johnson (Diggin 67), Shamsi, Kaziboni. Subs not used: Rasulo, Odhiambo, Nash, Barnett.

Attendance: 654.

Wantage Town’s tie at Hungerford Town had to be abandoned after 72 minutes with the score at 0-0 following a serious injury to the home goalkeeper Jokull Andresson.

The keeper was knocked unconscious after an accidental collision with Wantage striker Kaylem Patterson.

After ten minutes of treatment on the pitch, the referee abandoned the second qualifying round tie, which will be replayed at Hungerford tomorrow.

This came as a relief to their hosts, who had used all three of their substitutes.

The Uhlsport Hellenic League side, with their defence superbly marshalled by Mark Flanagan, had done well to hold their Vanarama National League South hosts.

Wantage Tn: Meare, Corner, Flanagan, Cheetham, Jackson. Cox, Patterson, Davoille, S Robertson, Glover, Dunmall. Subs not used: McCormack, Wright, Mattimore, Scholes, D Robertson, Aulsbury.

  • TWO goals in the final six minutes gave ten-man Thame United a dramatic 2-2 draw away to Coleshill Town in Evo-Stik South League Division 1 Central.

The visitors went behind in the 14th minute when Reece Leek scored from the penalty spot.

It was 2-0 on 24 minutes when Liam Molesworth ran from halfway before beating Thame keeper Craig Hill with a shot from 15 yards.

Mark West’s side started the second half strongly, but hopes of a comeback seemed slim in the 63rd minute when Dan James was shown a red card for dangerous tackle in midfield.

Thame continued to probe, and they were rewarded on 88 minutes Liam Tack curled a shot home.

Then, during four minutes of added time, Tack was brought down by Coleshill keeper Matt Coton and substitute Marcus Mealing netted the penalty to earn the visitors an unlikely point.

Thame Utd: Hill, Mepham, Lynn, Essex, James, Martin (Ashworth), Tack, Sturgess, Clark, Gledhill (Mealing), Scott (Cullen).

Attendance: 93.

Despite ending their season’s goal drought, Kidlington suffered their sixth defeat in as many games when losing 5-1 at home to Dunstable Town.

After 576 minutes, Jamie Calvin finally scored the hosts’ first league goal of the campaign with a powerful header just before half-time.

However, they were already 2-0 down to a brace of goals from Arel Amu, who completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 54th minute.

Daniel Trif added the visitors’s fourth while Saul Williams made it 5-1 with a 63rd-minute penalty.

But Kidlington did well not to concede again in the remaining half-hour.

Kidlington: Warrell, Stanbridge, Bott, Finney, Franklin, Peerless (Willoughby 78), Harvey, Talboys (Coleman 68), Calvin, Whitehead, Singh (Oddy 58). Subs not used: Cowlishaw, Lacey.

Attendance: 44.