AVELEY avoided a potential banana skin to win in today's (Saturday, 3 October) FA Cup Second Qualifying round but Grays Athletic suffered the harsh disappointment of losing on penalties in their clash.

And East Thurrock United picked up a first point of the season and felt they might have come away with even more had they got the breaks at Brightlingsea Regent in the Isthmian Premier.

Aveley travelled to Thurlow Nunn Premier Division underdogs Brantham Athletic knowing that the Blue Imps had already knocked out higher league opposition on their own patch.

But a solid, workmanlike display put the Millers through and in truth visiting keeper David Hughes had the quietest afternoon with barely an on target effort on his goal.

There was a rather ponderous start from both sides, with lots of possession given away and little fluency of play but Aveley gradually began to show their expected dominance and as they exerted an increasing stranglehold on possession they were rewarded with a 28th minute opening goal when a set piece move saw Freddie Gard pick out Harry Gibbs and the defender volleyed home from an angled position.

There were other half chances to follow but Aveley could not put them away, with Athletic keeper Andrew Plummer making a fine save from Brad Sach to end the half.

Aveley made a strong start to the second stanza and in the opening moments of the half Mitch Gilbey cut inside onto his right foot and his shot hit the inside of the post before coming out. Sach followed up and his effort appeared to be handballed but no penalty was given.

The visitors' dominance continued and was finally rewarded just before the hour when centre-back Steve Sheehan matched his fellow defender Gibbs' strike with a close range header from a corner.

And the tie was put beyond any reach of Brantham when livewire sub Manny Ogunrinde set up Gilbey who was brought own in the box and Wyan Reid slotted home the penalty.

While Millers fans were delighted, there was disappointment not too far away for Grays who travelled to Maldon & Tiptree and went out in cruel circumstances.

The home side's chairman Eddy Garty had ended a decade of control of the Jammers by announcing he was standing down before the game because he was struggling to come to terms with the Isthmian League and FA's decision not to award the club promotion last season when they were runaway leaders of the Isthmian North.

Whether that impacted on the performance of the hosts at the Wallace Binder Ground was open to interpretation but the first half ended goalless.

However, the second half was a lively affair, sparked by former Tilbury striker Adam Vyse's opener for Maldon on 52 minutes.

Two minutes later Maldon were reduced to ten men when Scott Kemp picked up two yellows in quick succession and the Blues were on level terms on 57 minutes when Mitchel Hahn scored.

It looked as if the ten men might snatch victory in normal time when Grays' Moroyin Omolabi put through his own goal with four minutes remaining but the Blues showed their resilience in the last minute when a goal from Joe Paxman forced a penalty shoot-out – but sadly Grays lost it 5-4!

There was late drama at Brightlingsea where the hosts looked to have taken all the points when Khris Oti scored a controversially awarded penalty on 84 minutes.

East Thurrock were less than happy with referee Chris Hastings' performance and anger mounted when he denied them to seemingly nailed on spot-kicks of their own but substitute Phillip Brown-Bahpoe earned a deserved point with a last minute equaliser.