By SCOTT HATLEY

CHELMSFORD City set up a mouth-watering FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round home tie against Conference Premier leaders Barnet after beating Whitehawk in Monday’s replay.

The Clarets drew 4-4 with their Conference South rivals in Saturday’s Third Qualifying Round tie before seeing off the Brighton side 4-1 in the replay at Melbourne Park.

Joe Ward opened the scoring on Monday night with a tap-in into an empty net after being set up by skipper Mark Hughes.

Christian Smith doubled the hosts’ advantage from the penalty spot after Osei Sankofa brought down Rohdell Gordon, before Danny Mills reduced the deficit to make it 2-1 at half-time.

But Lee Sawyer restored the two-goal cushion with a fine solo goal and Ward bagged his brace with a free-kick into the top corner to set up the tie with Barnet at Melbourne Park on Saturday, October 25.

A brace a piece from Michael Cheek and Joe Ward on Saturday saw Chelmsford twice come from behind to force a replay against Whitehawk in the FA Cup at The Enclosed Ground.

Clarets boss Mark Hawkes hailed his side’s character and was “happy to still be in the cup” having seen City throw away a two-goal lead before securing a replay with Whitehawk. City went ahead with two goals inside the first five minutes, after Michael Cheek latched onto a Luke Callander knock-down before Joe Ward’s low free-kick snuck in at the far post.

The lead though was short lived as the hosts turned it around before half an hour thanks to goals from Osei Sankofa, Jake Robinson and a thunderbolt from captain Lee Hills.

Cheek’s header on the stroke of half time levelled matters only for City to go behind again midway through the second half through Robinson.

Chelmsford were then awarded their third penalty in as many games, but – like their previous two – Rohdell Gordon’s effort was saved, only for Ward to score the rebound and force a replay.

It was a game befitting the storied history of the FA Cup and with the trophy itself in attendance the Clarets boss described the game as a “great end-to-end, entertaining game full of incident for the neutral fans to watch, but from a manager’s point of view you don’t want to see games like that.”

City return to league action on Saturday with a trip to Hampshire to face high-flying Havant & Waterlooville.

The Clarets go into the match in 16th place, while their hosts occupy third place.