On a blustery afternoon it was the home side that progressed into the First Round proper with a a 4-2 win against former winners Diss Town.

Martin Grey and Alan Alsop still standing in for manager Brady Stone due to the birth of his daughter made three changes to the side that started against Godmanchester. Craig Neal, Liam Griffin and new signing Ashley Shipp came in for suspended Matty Simpson, unavailable George Darling and Dominic Hunt dropping down to the bench.

Both sides tried to adapt to the swirling wind in the first ten minutes, but the home side soon found the net in the 11th minute when Alex Theobald nipped in front of defender Jack Tipple to squeeze a shot underneath George Macrae in the Diss goal.The lead did not last long and Ely's achilles heel raised its head again when a pass split the two centre backs and Shaun Hundson rounding the advancing Harry Reynolds to slot home.

Ely retained the lead in the 23rd minute when captain James Seymour rose to power home Jamie Alsop's corner . Both sides had chances as the half went on, but it was four minutes before the break that saw another effort go in. Another Jamie Alsop cross found Kelvin Enaro at the far post and his header back across goal settled in the net. The referee's assistant flagged for offside, but after a conversation between both referee and assistant the goal stood

Ely started the half attempting to gain the killer fourth goal with first Shipp heading straight at the keeper and then a good run by Enaro found himself blasting over his effort.

But it was the away who started to believe that they could get something out of the game when in the 63rd minute the home defence failed to deal with Bryant’s corner and were duly punished by Solomon Pope’s downward header.

Now with the bit firmly between their teeth, 1994 Vase winners Diss went in pursuit of a third and game-levelling goal. Ian Fancett’s free-kick was pushed clear by Reynolds, before Charlie Webb stung the keeper’s palms. That goal never arrived, though, and with five minutes to go the game was settled when a corner from Ely substitute Mason Newman appeared to provide Macrae with a routine catch, but under pressure from Enaro the Diss keeper dropped the ball over the line.

The right result that Ely wanted all be it a performance that again asked many more questions than it answered. The First Round draw takes place at Wembley on Monday and we equally await our opponents in the next round