by Eliot Goodyer

Former Gillingham manager Mark Stimson engineered a cup upset as his Hornchurch side beat Notts County in the FA Trophy semi-final on Saturday.

Hornchurch of the Isthmian Premier League, who had beaten Maidstone United in the fifth round, pegged back their National League hosts three times before winning 5-4 on penalties.

Stimson, the man who took Gills back to League 1 via the play-offs in 2009, will be hoping to taste victory at Wembley again on May 22 when Hornchurch face Hereford of the National League North.

His managerial adversary that day will be Josh Gowling – a player he lured to Priestfield in 2009 who is now coaching at the age of 37.

Hereford also upset the odds themselves and reached the final by virtue of a 1-0 triumph over National League outfit Woking, for whom another ex-Gill in Matt Jarvis was an unused substitute.

The Gillingham connections don’t stop there either because as many as four players who featured for the Urchins have played for Gills during their careers.

Liam Nash, who was signed by Ady Pennock in 2017 following a successful trial period, notched twice including a stoppage time equaliser.

Ollie Muldoon, who had two spells at Priestfield in 2015 under Justin Edinburgh and in 2017 under Pennock, netted in the penalty shootout.

The player responsible for scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout was Chris Dickson who joined Gillingham on loan twice, first in 2007 and then again in 2010. Dickson had a spell with Dartford earlier this season.

Charlie Stimson, who was in the Gills youth team while his dad was in charge of the Priestfield club, came off the bench in the win over County.

Also in the Hornchurch team was former Welling man Rickie Hayles, who scored in the shootout

Hereford’s winning team included Michael Bakare, who has previously appeared for Welling, Dover and Tonbridge Angels, former Ebbsfleet United goalkeeper Brandon Hall - who celebrated his birthday on the same day - while their defender Jamie Grimes also played for Ebbsfleet and Dover.

Stimson will certainly have the edge in experience when it comes to the big FA Trophy games. Before his promotion success at Gillingham he had won the competition three times, twice with Grays and once with Stevenage.

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