Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield expressed his relief after their 2-1 first-round FA Cup win at Bradford.

The Chairboys had been in control of the tie with a two-goal lead at half-time.

But the League Two side came back strongly after the break to make Wycombe battle hard for their win.

Bloomfield said: “We’re really pleased to be through because it was an uncomfortable afternoon, if I’m honest.

“I thought Bradford were fantastic in the work they did and the way they passed the ball. They created some good opportunities and I’ve got to be pleased with the way we defended our box.

“The amount of blocks we got in was fantastic. There’s loads to improve on in terms of our in-possession stuff but the majority of those boys have done five games in the last two weeks.

“I think it possibly showed. We looked a little bit leggy in the last half an hour so fair play to them for digging in and making sure we got the result.”

Killian Phillips, on loan from Crystal Palace, scored Wycombe’s opener before Sam Stubbs headed into his own net to extend the lead.

Bloomfield added: “KP had been due one because his performance levels have been really high recently. He’s been top for us with his energy, the way he gets us moving forward and the amount he puts into the game.”

Jamie Walker pulled one back for Bradford after 64 minutes as the home team piled on the pressure. Wycombe keeper Max Stryjek made saves from Walker, Andy Cook and Tyler Smith.

Bradford caretaker manager Mark Trueman said: “It was difficult because you’re going in at half-time 2-0 down thinking that we’ve not done a lot wrong.

“I felt the way we started the game was positive but obviously goals change games. We knew that we would always create chances and felt like we were always causing them a threat.

“We’re disappointed in the manner we’ve conceded the goals with individual errors. They happen with the threat that Wycombe have got.

“But I think we dominated for long periods in the second half and were a little bit unlucky not to get another goal.

“We knew if we scored quite early then it might give us a chance of forcing a draw at least. I’ve got to praise the players for their performance.

“They felt the second half was one of the better performances they’ve had all season. We’re disappointed but we can take a lot of positives from today.”

Bradford have been without a manager since Mark Hughes was sacked a month ago.

“The players have applied themselves in the right way,” added Trueman. “Yes, they could say they are a little unsettled but the performance levels didn’t really show that.”

Shaun Maloney says it is time that Wigan enjoyed another good FA Cup run following their 2-0 first-round win at Exeter.

In a match almost identical to the 2-0 win for Latics in League One just two weeks ago, Wigan won it with second-half goals from Thelo Aasgaard and Steven Sessegnon, despite Exeter dominating for long spells.

“It was a very good team performance,” Maloney said. “We changed it tactically in the second half. I didn’t think there were massive issues in the game, I just wanted to get our attacking players in the game more and in the end, it was an excellent performance.

“First half was very even, there wasn’t too much in it but at the same time, I didn’t feel we were really cutting through them when we had the ball.

“I felt we were a danger on the counter attack but I wanted more of the ball in the second half and once it got to 2-0, I was really happy with the way we saw out the game.

“This game meant a lot to us and it was a big win for us. We have a history in the cup. Everyone talks about 2013 but the following season, we made it to the semi-finals, lost on penalties, 2018 as a League One club, we beat a Pep (Guardiola) Man City team. Hopefully it’s our turn to make some memories but it is just one round.”

It was frustration for Exeter manager Gary Caldwell, though. His side have now lost eight of their last nine games and scored in only three of those matches.

“It’s really frustrating,” Caldwell said. “I thought we were better today than we were two weeks ago in terms of how we wanted to play and the chances we created.

“We created great opportunities to score, a brilliant opportunity second half for James (Scott) but didn’t score and the longer the game went on, they were always going to be a threat on the counter and we gifted them a goal. Then the game became really difficult.

“It is clear what is happening, it is clear what we need to improve on and it is hard work on the training ground and support for the players that will do that.

“It’s frustrating because when you lose games, confidence does get affected – that is only natural in football and in life, but the players have to stand up in those moments and keep believing in what we are doing, what was working before and keep doing that to get back into the game.

“I do agree that confidence is low at the minute, but we have to work hard on the training pitch to build that back up.”

Luke Williams heaped praise on his Notts County defenders as their importance was highlighted during their 3-2 win over Crawley in the FA Cup.

Danilo Orsi scored twice for the visitors but goals from Dan Crowley, David McGoldrick and substitute Macaulay Langstaff saw the Magpies progress to the second round for the first time since 2019.

“I thought Crawley were absolutely brilliant, they also deserved to be in the hat for the next round because both teams created enough chances to win the game,” said Williams.

“They made it very difficult for us but I was disappointed with the overall performance because I thought we lacked bite, and I don’t think we were convincing enough.

“We were sloppy at times with trying to smooth the game when the ball is in a compromised position, and you need to put your body there.

“I didn’t enjoy the performance overall, but I enjoyed the attitude of the players trying to win.

“The defenders defended the box, and if they didn’t it could have been a disaster because we missed too many tackles and then we are relying on three guys and the goalkeeper to get us out of trouble – and they did that.”

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey said: “Yeah, there are some real positives from the game. We got 90 minutes into some of the players and maybe in slightly different positions of what they are used to.

“I thought they really commanded in the way we played and we created a lot – Adam Campbell coming in for us was a massive plus and Ade Adeyemo coming onto the pitch was a real positive and involved in one of the actions we could have scored at the end.

“(There are) lots of positives but we’re really disappointed not to get something from the game.”

The Red Devils return to the Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday to take on Aston Villa’s Under-21 team in the EFL Trophy and Lindsey insists his side are relishing the challenge.

After three successive away matches, he added: “It feels like it’s been ages, of course we are looking forward to being back at home.

“We are really good at home and we get a lot of points at home, so it will be a nice change of jumping on the bus again.

“We are going to be picking a team that is going to win us the game for sure. It will be an opportunity for some of the lads who haven’t played as much, but these boys are more than capable of beating Aston Villa on Tuesday night.”

Eastleigh cruised into FA Cup second round with 5-1 thrashing of National League rivals Boreham Wood.

The hosts were in front after 17 minutes, with Nigel Atangana turning the ball in after Chris Maguire’s free-kick had been headed away.

However, it took just two minutes for Boreham Wood to level through Matt Robinson.

Maguire had the hosts back in front within four minutes, firing into an empty net from Jake Taylor’s low cross.

Maguire then turned provider when his free-kick was swept in by Ludwig Francillette seven minutes before the interval.

And Francilette scored again shortly after the interval to make it 4-1 to the home side.

The dismissal of Jayden Harris in the 71st minute for a second bookable offence failed to knock Eastleigh off their stride and Maguire wrapped up a fine win in stoppage time, smashing in from six yards out.

Rhys Murphy hit a brace to send Yeovil into the second round of FA Cup after a 3-2 win over Gateshead at Huish Park.

Murphy gave the Glovers an early lead before Jordan Stevens doubled the advantage.

Murphy added a second to put Yeovil in complete control but a pair of late goals from Marcus Dinanga kept them on their toes.

Yeovil started brightly and Murphy turned in a long ball over goalkeeper Archie Mair to put the National League South side in front just three minutes in.

The Somerset side increased their lead when Jordan Stevens slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Murphy reacted quickest to make it three before Dinanga converted a penalty before also finding the net five minutes into stoppage time but Yeovil held on.

Salford were denied an FA Cup upset in the 93rd minute as Emmanuel Fernandez’s header rescued a 2-2 draw for Sky Bet League One Peterborough United.

The centre-back was brought on as a late substitute and played up front as Posh chased a game they trailed thanks to two howlers from Nicholas Bilokapic.

The League Two side took the lead after just four minutes when the keeper passed the ball straight to Stephen Mallan from the edge of his box, who fired into an empty net.

They held the lead throughout the first half but Ricky-Jade Jones levelled for Posh just 25 seconds into the second half.

Joel Randall cut back a pass to Jones and it was a simple finish for the forward.

Posh then took control of the game but their efforts came grinding to a halt when, after 69 minutes, Bilokapic inexplicably let Zak Sturge’s backpass roll under his foot and trickle into the net.

Fernandez forced a replay in the dying seconds by heading in Ephron Mason-Clark’s cross from inside the six-yard box.

Leyton Orient progressed to the second round of the FA Cup for only the second time in eight years as they overcame Carlisle 3-1 at Brisbane Road.

Goals by Joe Pigott and substitutes Aaron Drinan and Ruel Sotiriou proved defining, while Joe Garner replied for the visitors.

Orient went ahead from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after Dan Happe had been fouled by Owen Moxon and Pigott stepped forward to send keeper Tomas Holy the wrong way with his spot-kick.

Four minutes later, the Cumbrians lost the services of Callum Guy, who was taken off on a stretcher with a leg injury.

Pigott missed the opportunity to double the advantage just before the break when he failed to convert an Idris El Mizouni cross before the Cumbrians levelled early in the second half.

Garner tested Sol Brynn with a powerful drive after 49 minutes but found the net a minute later when heading in a centre by Ben Barclay.

O’s restored their lead after 65 minutes when Drinan stretched out a leg to meet a Tom James cross and put the outcome beyond doubt in added time when Sotiriou pounced to drive the ball between Holy’s legs.

Teenager Olly Sully broke Scarborough hearts with a stoppage-time equaliser to secure an ill-deserved 1-1 draw and replay for League Two strugglers Forest Green.

Sully, 18, pounced from close range after teacher Alex Wiles had earlier opened the scoring in the first half for the National League North outfit, who were playing in the first round proper for the first time since the club’s reformation in 2007.

With Forest Green struggling to find any cohesive patterns of play, Wiles showed nimble footwork to fashion space in the away box before drilling a 10-yard drive into James Belshaw’s bottom-right corner in the 27th minute.

Belshaw then needed to make a smart save to prevent Forest Green from falling further behind before the break, denying rampaging right wing-back Kieran Weledji following good combination play between Frank Mulhern and Wiles that had carved Rovers’ left channel open.

The away team improved marginally in the second half with a thumping, edge-of-the-box effort by Callum Jones dipping just over.

But an unmarked Jacob Maddox was guilty of a howling miss in the 68th minute, side-footing wide of a gaping goal from eight yards following Charlie McCann’s right-wing raid.

Home keeper Ryan Whitley then parried away a firm Nathan Holland drive but he was eventually beaten when the home defence failed to deal with a ball into the box and McCann’s square pass across the face of goal was tapped in by Sully.

Alfreton reached the FA Cup second round after a routine 2-0 win over Worthing.

Nathan Newall and Kennedy Digie scored in the final 17 minutes to send the hosts through.

Jordan Thewlis wanted a penalty after being felled in the first half and Jake Day hit the post for the hosts in the first half.

But Alfreton had to wait until the second half to open the scoring.

Newall struck after 73 minutes when he found the top corner from just outside the box.

Digie wrapped up the win with three minutes left when he headed in Billy Fewster’s corner.

Gillingham avoided a potential FA Cup upset with a 2-0 victory at Hereford after Jayden Clarke’s deflected goal was followed by a late Tom Nichols penalty.

The League Two visitors started on the front foot as Scott Malone’s effort from outside the box forced Curtis Pond into a low save.

Jonny Williams then made a surging run into the Hereford box after 14 minutes, but saw his acrobatic effort also denied by the Bulls’ goalkeeper.

Stephen Clemence’s reign as Gillingham boss got off to a perfect start when Clarke’s 23rd-minute effort took a wicked deflection past Pond.

Connor Mahoney came within an inch of doubling the visitors’ lead 10 minutes later, but watched as his curling effort rattled a post.

Hereford had to wait until the hour mark for their first opening as Lassana Mendes found the run of Kidderminster loanee Ethan Freemantle who crashed his effort into the side-netting.

Paul Caddis’ side sensed an equaliser and almost found it four minutes later when Adam Livingstone’s cross fell kindly for Freemantle who fired wide.

With four minutes left on the clock Nichols hit Hereford on the break, running through on goal before being judged to have been clipped by goalkeeper Pond.

The experienced forward regained his composure to score from the penalty spot.

Winger Luke Thomas played a starring role as Bristol Rovers made their quality tell to stroll into the second round of the FA Cup with a 7-2 victory against Northern Premier League side Whitby.

Rovers captain John Marquis converted James Gibbons’ cross to give the home side the lead within five minutes, as Thomas cleverly played the full-back into space.

The lead lasted eight minutes as winger Junior Mondal rifled in from outside the penalty area with the visitors’ first shot on goal.

A superb individual goal from Thomas, as he slalomed past three players, in the 18th minute was then followed by an assist as the 24-year-old set up Jevani Brown for Rovers’ third three minutes later.

Antony Evans netted from the penalty spot in the 40th minute after being brought down by Jacob Gratton.

Goalkeeper Shane Bland then produced a string of second-half saves and substitute Connor Simpson curled into the top corner for Whitby after Evans had lost the ball to Mondal after 59 minutes.

An own-goal by Harrison Beeden, near-post finish from Harvey Vale and Aaron Collins goal with 13 minutes left wrapped up the win for the Sky Bet League One side.

Sutton produced a fine second-half comeback to beat National League AFC Fylde 2-1 in the first round of the FA Cup.

Matt Gray’s U’s were faced with a cup shock to non-league opposition for the second season running when they trailed the Lancashire club at half-time after Jon Uskabasi’s shot.

However, two Harry Smith goals in the space of five minutes sent the hosts through at Gander Green Lane.

Harry Beautyman and Christian N’Guessan fired shots over the bar for the hosts, while U’s keeper Dean Bouzanis had his fingers stung by Nick Haughton before Taelor O’Kane miscued the rebound.

Uskabasi then opened the scoring from a swift counter attack as he drilled across Bouzanis into the bottom corner.

Smith levelled with a diving header in the 62nd minute before a low left-footed effort put the hosts in front five minutes later.

Fylde had their chances to level as Bouzanis denied Josh Kay with an outstretched leg before Luke Charman shot wide.

Hearts were in mouths for the home fans late on as Ustabasi hit the last kick of the game wide.

Goals from Daniel Udoh and Jordan Shipley helped Shrewsbury to a 3-2 win against Colchester to reach the second round of the FA Cup.

The U’s broke the deadlock in the 10th minute from a quick passing move. The ball landed at Cameron McGeehan’s feet on the edge of the box and he hit a powerful drive into the back of the net.

It took Shrewsbury 12 minutes to pull level from a well-organised corner. A short ball reached Shipley on the edge of the area, and his goal-bound shot hit Udoh and went in.

Shrewsbury went ahead in the 56th minute from a long ball from Tom Flanagan. The ball reached the feet of Shipley just outside the box and he took it around the onrushing Owen Goodman and scored.

The Shrews got a third in the 79th minute after Taylor Perry’s goalward shot got deflected in by Connor Hall.

Colchester pulled one back seven minutes later through Zach Mitchell, who rose highest in the box to head home from a corner.

Accrington Stanley twice came from behind to earn a replay against Doncaster in the FA Cup.

Rovers led through a Kelvin Mellor own goal and a stunning Harrison Biggins strike but were pegged back by Shaun Whalley and Seamus Conneely.

Doncaster made an impressive start count after nine minutes. Mo Faal sent a header bouncing off the crossbar, with the ball falling to George Broadbent, whose driven effort ricocheted in off Accrington’s Mellor.

Despite excellent opportunities for Faal and Luke Molyneux, Rovers could not extend their advantage.

Accrington looked to have equalised after 72 minutes when Josh Andrews fired home but, after the goal was initially given, it was overturned by referee Ross Joyce.

The visitors did find the leveller two minutes later when Whalley curled home an excellent finish from the edge of the box.

Biggins netted with a piledriver from 30 yards in the 81st minute to restore Rovers’ advantage, but a replay was set when Conneely sidefooted home a low corner at the near post five minutes from time.

Jamie Reid’s last-gasp winner gave League One Stevenage a thrilling 4-3 FA Cup win over Tranmere at the Lamex.

Jordan Roberts opened the scoring for Stevenage before the League Two strugglers hit back through Luke Norris and Rob Apter.

Reid equalised from the spot and Kane Hemmings bundled home with 10 minutes left. Tranmere’s Kieron Morris dramatically levelled but Reid had the final say.

Roberts headed in Elliott List’s chipped cross inside four minutes.

Rovers levelled after Kane Smith’s foul on Norris, who squeezed in the penalty via the post.

In the second half, Apter fired an unstoppable drive into the top corner but Rovers were not ahead for long.

Norris was penalised for a push on Carl Piergianni inside the area and Reid sent Luke McGee the wrong way.

In a frantic finale, Hemmings was on the end of Piergianni’s header to push Boro ahead before Morris headed in a 90th-minute leveller.

But Reid was alive to tap home a rebound in the ninth minute of stoppage time, before Rovers’ unused goalkeeping substitute Joe Murphy was red-carded.