City successfully saw off Unibond League Eastwood Town at the second time of asking, producing a dominant first half display that ensured there was to be none of the late drama that nearly resulted in a premature exit from the FA Cup at Coronation Park.

The Lilywhites started with the eleven that finished Saturday’s game, Josh Simpson preferred to Carl Williams and Michael Gash deputising for injury victim Robbie Simpson.

Visiting boss Bryan Chambers kept faith with the team which were only a last gasp Peter Knox penalty kick away from a shock win three days previously.

The Lilywhites, who struggled to come to terms with both their opponents and the conditions at the weekend, ensured there was to be no repeat on this occasion, putting the Badgers firmly on the back foot right from the off.

Mark Molesley was first to signal the home side’s intentions when a spell of sustained pressure resulted in a left sided corner which was cleared by Mark Fisher only as far as the former Hayes player who cut inside from the left and fired over the angle of post and crossbar.

Craig Dobson then used his pace to good effect, breaking swiftly down the right before delivering a well placed centre into the feet of Michael Gash but the teenage striker was denied by Danny Bryant’s brave stop.

Relief for the visitors was to be short lived however as in their next attack City netted a vital early goal. Craig Pope played in Michael Gash on the right hand edge of the box, he in turn squared inside for Josh Simpson who took a step to his right before firing low and hard to Bryant’s left. The ‘keeper got a hand to the ball but the shot had sufficient power to beat the former Welsh schoolboy international and find the back of the net.

City looked to capitalise on their early advantage. When Craig Dobson was fouled on the right Mark Molesley’s free kick deceived the Eastwood defence but Glen Fuff, Matt Langston and Michael Gash all failed in their attempts to connect as they homed in on goal.

Gash and Dobson then combined to free Paul Booth whose strong angled run took him to the edge of the box before a neat reverse shot beat Bryant but was cleared by a retreating Fisher. Jamie Southon’s header from Molesley’s resultant corner was volleyed off the line by Colin Daniel. The Badgers failed to clear their lines and Molesley’s lofted centre again sprang a rather rusty looking offside trap with Matt Langston inches away from converting in front of an exposed Bryant.

Almost inevitably a second goal followed. Having failed to benefit from several marginal decisions Paul Booth was awarded a free kick wide on the right when the call could have gone either way. With the visitors slow to organise the quick thinking Molesley rolled the ball inside to Dobson whose first time drive was well placed, beating Bryant’s despairing dive and nestling in the bottom left hand corner of the net.

City should have been in cruise control at this point but with the game less than half an hour old they gifted the visitors a lifeline by conceding on the first occasion their goal came under serious threat. Paul Mitchell floated a right wing corner into a mass of players gathered on the edge of the six yard box. Ricky Millard came to collect but failed to make his ground, Peter Knox rose highest and powered a header past the Lilywhites’ ‘keeper who found himself stranded in no-man’s-land.

All of a sudden the game took on a different complexion. Adie Francis glided past Matt Langston and struck a well placed centre into the path of Deon Meikle who fired over from the edge of the box.

The hosts hit back in the shape of Michael Gash who collected a Millard goal kick and powered his way to the edge of the box before unleashing a rising drive which Bryant clung onto in spectacular fashion.

Gash was to have the final word in the first period when he netted a decisive third goal which gave the Badgers a mountain to climb. Allowed room to move forward mark Molesley ran menacingly at visiting rearguard before sliding a measured pass to Booth whose superb low centre was met by an advancing Gash who timed his run to perfection and smashed the ball past the helpless Bryant.

In an attempt to strike back early in the second period Bryan Chambers introduced Zimbabwean striker Kelvin Mushambi at the interval with Adie Francis making way.

The change almost had an immediate impact. Paul Mitchell ran strongly at the City back line before laying the ball off to Mushambi on the right who released a first time shot which stung Millard’s hands as he pushed the effort behind for a corner.

Having seen off the mini-revival City concentrated their efforts on retaining possession and probing at Eastwood’s hard working defenders. Paul Booth’s slide rule pass across the penalty are picked out Molesley who saw his powerful strike deflected away by Fisher at the expense of a corner. Booth was then the beneficiary of good work between Lee Chaffey and Josh Simpson before firing narrowly over from the edge of the area.

A double substitution just after the hour mark failed to relieve the pressure on the visitors. Michael Gash collected Craig Pope’s neat ground pass, turned and advanced into the area where his strength enabled him to keep the ball before poking a close range effort to the right of Bryant only for the ‘keeper to pull off a superb save, turning the ball around the post for a corner.

Michael Gash had made way for Carl Williams before City threatened to extend their lead still further when the excellent Booth played a deft pass into the path of Josh Simpson through the inside left channel. The teenage midfielder looked destined to double his tally for the evening before Bryant produced another fine save diving smartly to his left.

There was time for both Phil Stebbing and Steve Parmenter to make brief cameo appearances in the closing minutes as City successfully ran down the clock securing a victory which will be rewarded with a home tie against Hitchin in the next round.