Cup ready to restart after draw

By David Watters

The last 16 action in the Southern League Challenge Cup will kick off in the second week of January after the draw was made for the competition's third round.

The eight single leg ties kicking off in the week commencing Monday 9 January were drawn at the Southern League's HQ in Gloucester on Friday. Where sides are level after normal time, the ties will be decided on penalties without the need for extra-time.

Six clubs still have work to do in replays to confirm their berths in the next round with Aylesbury and St Neots Town, Hayes & Yeading United and Egham Town and Northwood and Slough Town respectively, all facing replays.

The quarter-finals of the competition are scheduled to take place in the week commencing Monday 30 January with the semi-finals to follow from Monday 20 February. The venue and date for this season's final, won last term by Merthyr Town, has yet to be decided.

For the full fixture list, visit the fixture pages under the 'match info' tab.

Southern League Challenge Cup Third Round Draw
Aylesbury or St Neots Town v Barton Rovers
Aylesbury United v Banbury United
Barnstaple Town v Paulton Rovers
Bishops Cleeve v Stratford Town
Hayes & Yeading United or Egham Town v Basingstoke Town
Northwood or Slough Town v Chalfont St Peter
Shortwood United v Salisbury
St Ives Town v Biggleswade Town

* The EVO-STIK League Southern is looking for new sponsors of the Southern League Challenge Cup.

Officials announced in September that they were looking to team up with a new commercial partner to tap into the competition's long history and wide appeal.

Founded in 1894, the EVO-STIK League Southern is one of the oldest and most respected competitions in the game with three divisions playing at Steps 3 and 4 of the Non-League pyramid. More than 25 millions people live and work within the league's geographical boundaries with hundreds of news and media organisations covering the action of its members clubs.

For further information, potential sponsors should contact either EVO-STIK League Southern chairman Terry Barrat at chairman@southern-football-league.co.uk or EVO-STIK League Southern secretary Jason Mills at secretary@southern-football-league.co.uk.

Follow the EVO-STIK League Southern on Twitter at @SouthernLeague1

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