FA Fridays

Quorn 2-1 Shepshed Dynamo (FA Cup First Qualifying Round)

It’s a Leicestershire derby in the FA Cup first qualifying round on a Friday night for some reason? I’ve checked both SKY & TNT but I don’t think this one’s been moved to be screened on live TV?

Martin O’Neill once managed Shepshed Charterhouse who became Dynamo in 1994 thanks to some much needed financial help from another local club, Loughborough Dynamo who’s ground sits between Shepshed’s Dovecote Stadium (located on the mildly amusing Butthole Lane) and this one, just 6.6 miles East on Farley Way in Quorn.

These days of the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands (a division below that of their hosts tonight), Shepshed have had a little bit of cup history, their best run (as Dynamo) in 1995/96 when they lost to Carlisle United 6-0 in the first round proper, in 1983 they also reached the first round (as Charterhouse) before losing 5-1 at Preston North End.

As for Quorn, they were a Leicestershire Senior League side until the Millennium so their first entry into the FA Cup wasn’t until 2002. Their best efforts coming in 06/07 when they reached the third qualifying round before losing 2-1 in a replay at Brackley, they repeated that achievement last season after beating Sherwood Colliery 8-0 and Kettering Town 2-1 before succumbing to Enfield Town in a 5-1 defeat.

A first outing in the famous old cup this season for Quorn who beat Ilkeston Town to ease their struggling league concerns on bank holiday Monday, a heart-warming post of their Manager Ryan Beswick uploaded after a 6-3 home defeat by Whitby Town on Saturday grabbed some attention, it shows the pressures he’s under not just as a Manager, but as a human being, a person who clearly cares about his club and it was good to see his side bounce back and deliver a winning performance for the first time this season.

A little better in form is Dynamo third in their division and chasing promotion to a level they were last at in 1992. They are off the back of a 4-0 bank holiday win over Carlton Town thanks to goals from Jack Butterfill, Taylor Wyse (2) and Jiah Medrano.

Just a 30-minute commute for me as I head south towards Loughborough and turn off through Hoton then Barrow-upon-Soar, pulling up on a side street by Farley Way for 6:30pm ahead of walking those final few yards and up towards the car park of the idyllic little village club home.

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The Venue

It’s filling nicely as the gentle rays of the sun beam down on the evening earth as I walk through the turnstile and pay just £10 on my card contactless. I’m heading towards my seats in the press area as I notice @GamingBomp sat down with a tray of fish and chips. “I’ve just watched one of your videos” I tell him. Jon Warren is a non league YouTuber (check out his videos) originally from Hereford but living near me in Nottingham, he covers a lot of local games and puts spotlight on non-league football through his socials with regular ground hopping journeys. His latest video was on Facebook founders owned Real Bedford who he tells me “their ambition is to reach the Premier League”.

He’s a Hereford United fan and I have a quick chat with him about last seasons relegation escape and this campaigns rise in form, before heading off to sit down at the back of the covered stand on half way, a couple of commentators setting up and some kids swapping stickers sat at the press tables, an old lady comes and sits next to me leaning her walking stick up against the wall. “Don’t forget that after” I tell her. “I won’t, I need it to walk” she replies.

It’s a lovely little ground and the atmosphere is building as the players warm up in front, the stand I’m in is no more than four rows of seats high but runs the length of the pitch and is well covered, there’s a few Shepshed ultras standing to my left, they have always had a fair following, even bringing their drum kit with them tonight.

To the left the stand behind the goal is covered terracing running the length which gives the place a proper football ground feel, opposite end is empty backed by trees and opposite me is the iconic clubhouse with its triangular centre which reads white lettered on red backing ‘Quorn Football Club’.

The Game

It’s as crowded as it can be and a local fan who would like to sit near the old lady next to me has found no room at the inn, remarkably the press seats aren’t busy so I budge up one and allow him to sit with me, he only lives around the back of the ground and comes to all the home games, a posh fella well to do, I don’t think he knows much about who’s who or tactics, but I think he just likes getting out in the fresh air and listening in to some expletives.

The game kicks off, Quorn in red, Shepshed in changed yellow, the ball is pumped forward and a player I’ve been asked to take a look at tonight is on his way. Jayden-Samuel Lawrence-Lowther (a mouthful I agree) scored two goals against Ilkeston on Monday, he’s still in his teens (I think) and has ran through on goal, leaving defenders in his wake, he has size, pace and power and finishes well, the home side one up, there’s a fan running past me with a tin foil cut out of the FA Cup, the celebrations have already started.

Quorn are neat, they have some good players, 3-5-2 but in attacking sense as both wing backs Madou Cisse and Luke Shaw are much better going the other way.

They cause Shepshed trouble especially down the left but Dynamo are game, it’s the FA Cup, of course they are, less technical and talented they mix it and battle and it all becomes a bit of a scrap, from front to back, midfielders hooking it forwards, defenders clearing their lines, the early chants from the crowd starting to quiet down as half time approaches without much happening but suddenly the ball falls to young Taylor Wyse, he’s on loan from Tamworth and has a scout watching him sat in front of me, the eighteen year old takes aim from the edge of the Quorn box and curls a beauty right footed into the top corner of Jake Laban’s goal, nobody really saw that coming, but Shepshed are back level.

The Score

It’s a good first half, not a great one, plenty of passion and work ethic but not much by the way of chances created, you feel there’s certainly more to come in the second half and although Shepshed look the better side, the best opportunity comes when Tim Berridge can’t fully get on the end of a low cross, Berridge out stretching his left foot and the ball bobbles safely to the keeper when the goal was gaping in front of him.

By now young Taylor Wyse has been substituted which is queue for the scout watching him to leave, but his replacement Jamal Adams looks hungry for goals, he’s had two touches since coming on and has two shots, a big looking unit, I tell the man sitting besides me “he looks more like a rugby player” but he’s not amused. Adams then shoots wide from an acute angle as the old boy tells me “we're lucky he’s blind”

As the tannoy man announces the crowd as a venue record 1,004 in attendance and suggests to all that “if level after ninety minutes the game will go to a replay” out of nothing, Kelly Formad who’s really impressed me as Shepshed’s left back, passes back to the keeper who doesn’t seem to be in goal. The ball is slowly bobbling over the chalk line barely touching the net as Formad puts his hands to his face, the crowd roar like a train passing before the giggles start, an own goal out of completely nothing, the only real difference in the two teams on the night.

Shepshed give it one last push and send their goalkeeper up for a late corner but Leicestershire tonight, and the Borough of Charnwood belongs to Quorn, ‘Please stay off the pitch’ is the request ahead of full time, fortunately, nobody was crazy enough to dare.

The Stars

It was a great gutsy performance from Shepshed Dynamo but you can’t help feel Quorn have a more talented team of footballers and a few of which took the eye. I liked all three defenders, Luke Cox is a steady servant of the club, Elias Reaney is one I didn’t recognise, he has plenty of fire in his belly although not huge in size, Freddie Cook who I really liked at Barwell, given a debut after a short unsuccessful spell at Stratford with a solid performance. I still think he has potential to move upwards.

In midfield the star of my show was Tim Abimbola who was exceptional first half, slightly fading second 45 but he’s an athletic footballer strong as an ox, as fit as a gazelle. I liked him at Banbury a couple of seasons ago and I think Quorn have got a good one there.

Next to Abimbola was Lindon Meikle, 38 years old, I remember him scoring a memorable FA Cup goal 18 years ago as Eastwood Town knocked out Wycombe Wanderers at Coronation Park, still playing, these days more mature in his holding performance, he managed to last 68 minutes.

Out left Madou Cisse had his moments, I first watched Madou as a 14-year-old midfielder at Notts County and he’s still not grown, but fitness and technique are in abundance now 21, he’s playing out wide and gives you non-league Shaun Wright-Phillips vibes.

Opposite flank Luke Shaw is a stalwart of the level and a local non-league hero who once scored a goal for Coalville Town which helped knock Notts County out of the cup. He drives forward with the ball well and has a touch of quality that perhaps others don’t.

Finally for Quorn, their star striker. My lad went to watch Jayden-Samuel (let's call him that) play against Ilkeston and told me “he didn’t do much apart from his two goals” and tonight, I have exactly that feeling. He has the pace, he has the power, he has the shooting ability, perhaps a bit of a gentle giant but still young, fresh out of Notts County academy he has time to grow and learn, to get nasty and to request and keep the ball that little bit more, but raw talent, he certainly has that at his feet.

As for Shepshed, their star teen striker Taylor Wyse produced the goods with a glorious goal, that’s six now for the season so no wonder the scouts are looking. I did actually enjoy the cameo from his replacement Jamal Adams who was a real powerful boy always looking to get a shot away.

Jack Butterfill was another who came recommended, the right sided forward got a couple of early crosses in which I liked, but was relatively quiet, more impressive was those who did the ugly battling in midfield and at the back, centre half Declan Peart was game and had a huge long throw, left back Kelly Fombad is another young footballer who has serious talent, unbeatable to outrun and get past all night, in the end, he ended up beating himself.

The Verdict

I keep harping on about ending the 3pm Saturday blackout and to prove a point Quorn v Shepshed went up against Ipswich v Liverpool on a Friday night and a record best ever crowd at Farley Way, other a thousand fans still turned up.

People come to watch non-league because they love it, and whilst we’ll always get nights like this thanks largely to having the best cup competition in the world, football at this level will continue to produce miracles in England because we English will always get behind our local teams.

Quorn is a village club, playing local parks football until the early millennium, pulling in ridiculous gates on a Friday night when Liverpool and Real Madrid are also playing, it's something that makes you proud to be involved at the level.

Under Ryan Beswick they are well run and hungry, they have a good club, a good guy in charge, a good following of locals who are willing to support their team.

As for Shepshed, well they have always had want Quorn probably want, which is a fanbase that goes (and sings) everywhere with them. I hope to see them promoted to the Northern Premier League because the Dovecote is a lovely little venue and I’ve not been there for a while myself, but tonight was all about Quorn, who’ll be now looking closely at the draw for the next round and hoping for another night like this.

The Teams

Quorn: Jake Laban, Freddie Cook, Elias Reaney, Luke Cox, Luke Shaw (Ethan Bojang 86), Peter Abimbola, Jayden-Samuel Lawrence-Lowther (Jaiden Campbell-Ryce 90), Tim Berridge, Jesse Friend (Theo Robinson 83), Lindon Meikle (Finlay Tunstall 67), Madou Cisse.

Shepshed Dynamo: Jake Williams, Harry Harrison (Ethan Baynham 57), Kelly Fombad, Chad Timson, Declan Peart, Josh Burniston, Jack Butterfill, Kyle Dixon (Reece Massey 46), Taylor Wyse (Jamal Adams 69), Josh Halliday (Jack Samples 71), Jiah Medrano (John McHugh 84).

7:45pm Kick Off. Friday 4th September 2026, Farley Way, Quorn (att 1,004).