UXBRIDGE (1) 2 Gill 2 mins, Brooks 90 mins
PURFLEET (2) 3 Georgiou 22 mins, Carthy 44 mins, McFarlane 62 mins

Uxbridge made another early exit from the Ryman League Cup against Purfleet and had a player sent off at Honeycroft for the second Tuesday in a row. The Reds couldn't have made a better start against their Premier Division opponents though. In the second minute Dean Clark's free kick was headed on by Chris Moore into the path of Mark Gill who headed past the static 'Fleet goalkeeper Steve Mead. There was little to choose between the two sides in the opening exchanges and on sixteen minutes Clark tested Mead with a twenty-yard free kick, which the 'keeper did well to hold. Two minutes later at the other end Purfleet began to threaten when the lively Jon Keeling got the better of Paul Mills and shot only for Sean Dawson, on his six hundredth appearance, to make a fine save. Four minutes later though Dawson was helpless when Keeling's cross was volleyed home at the far post by George Georgiou to bring the scores level. Uxbridge refused to let the equaliser phase them and shortly afterwards Nicky Ryder's cross was turned back by Lee Tunnell for Moore whose shot was turned round the post by Mead. Just after the half hour Tunnell's pass gave Clark a great chance but he delayed too long and his final ball was wasted and then Steve Walters almost played Moore in but Mead dived at the Reds strikers feet. The Fleet were far from out of it themselves and Paul Coombs speculative effort wasn't far off target. Then, just before half time, a free kick from the left was deflected by an Uxbridge defender and landed in the path of Martin Carthy who made it 2-1. Coombs headed at Dawson when well placed shortly afterwards but in injury time a bust up outside the Purfleet penalty area resulted in Tunnell being sent off for a second bookable offence, though Purfleet looked rather lucky to escape the fracas with no punishment given to any of their players by referee Mr Randall.

The injured Moore had to be replaced at half time and George Talbot shuffled the Reds formation around to try and accommodate being a player short. It almost worked as twice in the opening quarter of the second half Uxbridge almost drew level. Firstly Clark's cross was headed on by Stuart Bamford to substitute Leyton Brooks whose shot on the turn clipped the edge of the crossbar. Then, Gill laid the ball to Clark whose fierce shot was pushed away by Mead and Danny Jordan hit the rebound wide. Just after the hour though the Reds attempted comeback was dealt a hefty blow when Jimmy McFarlane headed in from Micky Engwell's free kick. Even after what appeared to be a killer blow the Reds continued to press. Ryder had a shot stopped on the line by Mead and then had another effort deflected wide. Ten minutes from time Clark's shot was tipped over the crossbar by Mead before Uxbridge finally got some reward in the final minute when Jordan crossed for Brooks to hit his first goal for the club. There wasn't enough time left to think about saving the game though and the Reds were left to make their exit from the Ryman League Cup at the First Round stage for the eighth time in ten years.

UXBRIDGE: Dawson, S.Bamford, Granville, Jordan, Ryder, Walters, Mills, Gill, Tunnell, Moore (Brooks 45), Clark.
Subs not used: K.Cleary, Shipperley

PURFLEET: Mead, Purdie (Marsden 57), Howard, Pashley, McFarlane, Engwell (Curran 74), Lawrence, Keeling (Berry 33), Georgiou, Coombs, Carthy.