DEFIANT Maldon and Tiptree have a pedigree as FA Cup giantkillers but they are now constructing a record-breaking reputation in the Buildbase FA Trophy too thanks to a supreme team effort and wonderful goals scored by Shomari Barnwell, writes JON LONGMAN.

Tuesday night’s 2-1 surprise second round win over Isthmian Premier side Bognor Regis at the Wallace Binder Stadium was the club’s first taste of action on the stage with the National League clubs in action and the understudies earned rave reviews.

The Jammers knew that victory on Tuesday’s victory would earn a plum tie on Saturday and the chance to bank another £6,000 in winner’s prize money. That will be more music to the ears of new chairman Ron Dangerfield who is also the temporary club secretary as long-serving Roger Stephenson has stepped down.

The Jammers are £5,250 richer for beating Bognor and that is a very satisfying bonus for Dangerfield, the former Head of Academy Business and Football Operations at EFL Championship club Brentford.

Saturday’s fixture is definitely a plum ties as they don’t come much bigger than National League North leaders Gloucester City who saw off the threat posed by Needham Market with a 4-2 win on Tuesday.

It is a crying shame that the 150+ loyal Jammers fans who cheered their favourites to a shock 4-3 penalty shootout win at Enfield Town last Wednesday and raised their voices again on Tuesday will miss Saturday’s visit of the Tigers because the Maldon District was moved into Covid Tier Three just two hours after the much-acclaimed triumph.

Gloucester will be a different proposition as they are riding high, inspired by moving back to their home ground 13 years after being flooded out.

Tigers boss Paul Groves has an impressive CV that features his role as assistant to Harry Redknapp when Birmingham were a Premier League side.

However, Groves will be up against another master tactician in Jammers boss Wayne Brown. He plotted Orient’s demise last season and has built a new side of youthful talent from scratch this season around loyal keeper Ben McNamara and inspirational captain Martyn Stokes.

The Jammers are growing in confidence and they gave EFL side Morecambe plenty to think about in the FA Cup first round screened live on Match of the Day

The Jammers looked to be on course for their second penalty shootout inside a week but Barnwell, the fans’ favourite striker, tucked home the winner in time added on to end Bognor’s hopes of progressing.

Barnwell had sparked the fight back at Enfield with a 77th minute strike with Hamza Kaid prompting wild celebrations with his goal deep into time added on that caught Enfield daydreaming.

Manager Wayne Brown has instilled in his side a never-say-die attitude to games and the Jammers repeated their ability to go down to the wire on Tuesday as they struck with two minutes remaining of the five added on by excellent referee Will Finnie.

Shomari’s extra inches in height make him a nightmare to mark as Enfield had discovered to their cost a week earlier but Bognor appeared to think their night’s work was done after Harvey Whyte had put them ahead in the 47th minute. Tom Cooney had cleared a shot off the line but Whyte netted the rebound.

Popular Billy Cracknell got the Jammers faithful roaring encouragement with his equaliser on the hour and the volume increased when Bognor centre back Ethan Robb came within millimetres of scoring an embarrassing own goal.

Their voices reached fever pitch when Shomari bagged the winner to gave Bognor plenty to mull over on their luxury coach ride back to the South Coast.

Mr Brown’s Boys could be en route to another TV appearance this weekend when a commentator is bound to say that Gloucester are only five steps from Wembley. The Jammers have other ideas and it might be worth a trip to the bookies in Maldon High Street to discover what the odds are for another Jammers shock win.