Tadley Callaway claimed a 1-0 victory at Bishop's Cleeve in the second round qualifying of the FA Cup on Saturday. The away side secured the result at the 2026-09-19 fixture, advancing to the next stage at the hosts' expense.
To be fair, the result tells only part of the story. Bishop's Cleeve had shown mixed form in recent weeks — a 2-1 win over Pool Town on 5 September followed by a 1-3 defeat to Bristol Manor Farm five days prior. They also drew 1-1 with Evesham United and beat Hereford 2-0 before their latest loss.
By then, Tadley Callaway had built momentum. Their last outing saw them defeat Laverstock & Ford 3-1, and before that they kept a clean sheet against Ashford Town (Middlesex) with a 1-0 result. Three wins in their last five competitive games gave them the edge.
The visitors have been solid on the road lately. They beat Weymouth 4-2 and Cranleigh 3-0 in earlier fixtures, though they did fall 0-2 to Bracknell Town in September. This away win at Bishop's Cleeve extends that positive run.
And here's the thing — in a cup tie decided by a single goal, the difference came down to execution. Bishop's Cleeve had chances to respond but couldn't find the net. Tadley Callaway took their moment and moved into the third round qualifying.