The 10.30am kick off in the post-nuclear wasteland of Harlow saw the Lanarkshire boys already awake for six hours and with a reshuffled team due to work commitments, gaffer Barry McKnight had to talk tactics without his five of his first team regulars.
FPC's squad depth is improving though, and the makeshift Motherwell side started well, giving West Ham little time to settle on the ball. The midfield in particular showed excellent energy on the undulating pitch, and The 'Corner found themselves a goal up after only 15 minutes. Having won the ball in midfield, Totten curled a fantastic pass down the right channel, splitting the West Ham defence and allowing young Craig Anderson to run onto the ball with only the advancing keeper to beat and he neatly rounded the goalie to slot home.
Foxy was in fine form in charge of the midfield and fed Macca on the left. From the corner of the box Macca was given room to float in a back post cross and while everyone on the pitch expected just that, he cheekily arrowed it towards the near post, from which the Hammers keeper had strayed. The ball clipped the inside of the post and doubled the advantage after 25 minutes.
Not long after the restart, a rare loss of concentration in the middle of the park let West Ham play the ball wide to the right. The winger was shut down but managed to beat one FPC player before playing a tricky ball across the face of the six yard box. The ball was awkward for either keeper or defender to play as a touch would have taken it over the line, but in the end it didn't matter as it ran through to West Ham's bulky striker, who forced it over the line with his thigh.
FPC forced a series of corners throughout the half and an excellent delivery from Macca saw the ball in the net after the defender had cannoned it off Davie T. However, the ref had blown for an earlier infringement and the goal was disallowed.
Barry's half time teamtalk had an extra edge as the lead was down to one goal, but it was against the run of play and a number of chances had been squandered at the other end which should have seen FPC out of sight in the first 45.
The second half got off to an explosive start when Totten was apparently slapped by a West Ham player as he swung round after a challenge, and in the resulting disagreement, the big English boy was asked to sit off briefly to cool down, his card having been marked. His mood would surely not have improved as he stood on the sidelines, when just moments later Totten found himself on the edge of the West Ham box. With the opposition hesitant to shut him down, he pinged a lovely shot from the edge of the box with very little back lift, and the unsighted keeper could only watch it zip past him to restore the Scots' two goal advantage.
This sparked a tactical change from West Ham, and to be fair the match was a more even contest when they put an extra man in midfield in the last half hour. Davie T almost made it four when he powered a header down from another great Macca corner, but the Hammers kept their discipline and the front post marker cleared off the line.
West Ham's second goal came from a set piece 30 yards out. Without their regular back four, FPC held a defensive line that proved a little too deep, and when the free kick swung in it was ducked by the front post striker, fooling everyone except his incoming back post partner, who had the simple task of helping the ball into the bottom corner, with McKnight helpless. With ten minutes to go this should have sparked a late assault on the Fir Parkers' goal, but in truth the danger ended there, and but for a late West Ham penalty shout, which was rightly denied, and a kamikaze sliding tackle from stand in keeper Barry, FPC comfortably saw the match out to secure a place in round two, no doubt an away tie. Wherever it is, please don't let it be near Harlow….
Moan Ra Corner!