Player manager Steve Holder hailed his injury ravaged Hadleigh side after they eased past Desborough Town 2-0in the Emirates FA Cup.

Harry Brown scored an exquisite header to put the Brettsiders ahead and then Joel Glover powered in a second to get United past the extra-prelimenary round, and secure a £1,125 payment.

United will now travel to play the winners of Lakenheath and Milbarton Rovers who have to replay on Tuesday after their 2-2 draw.

With 11 first team squad players missing through injury, covid and a wedding Holder was down to the absolute bare bones.

Holder, normally a striker, admitted he was ready to step in at the back after centre halves Ryan Taylor and Jack Lambert both picked up knocks.

"The two centre halves wanted to come off injured at half time but I asked them to play through the pain, which they did," said Holder. "I was set to go on as centre half but luckily I didn't have to."

The Brettsiders got off to a smashing start when a stray ball during the warm up shattered a glass panel in the home dug out, which was swiftly dealt with by chairman John Chenery and club secretary Neil Henderson.

On the pitch Hadleigh struggled to get going in the first half with the United Counties side Desborough looking the more threatening.

Holder added: "We got there in the end, we were a bit poor first half but second the lads calmed down and relaxed bit, started making chances and the goals were always going to come."

The visitors rattled the frame of the goal but the ball rebounded kindly straight into grateful keeper Ben Mayhew's arms.

Mayhew, on loan from Bury Town, was playing with regular number one Nick Punter on his honeymoon.

He helped ensure Desborough obeyed the instructions at each end of the pitch which stated 'Please keep out of the goal'.

"It was important we kept that clean sheet," said. "We get on well with Bury and I'm grateful they have lets us have ben on loan.

"I changed it up a bit with a couple of holding midfielders and it worked.

"It was also important for us to get these youngsters involved. Not everyone has played in the FA Cup so it was good for them to be involved."

Ar Tarn, as Town are known, suffered a set back when full back Harvey Johnson went off injured and the big number nine, Tom Mills, was forced to drop to right back and Desborough's attach was blunted.

That helped Hadleigh gain impetus and Joe Yaxley had good shot tipped away as Hadleigh started to impose themselves more and two goals in the last half hour took them through.

Brown headed in a Sam Sharp corner at a well worked set piece in the 66th minute.

Yaxley put Glover through with a pin point pass and even though the keeper Chris Jones got a good hand on it, he could not stop it going in.

Holder said: "Harry took his goal well. We work a lot of set pieces because we know that is where many goals seem too come from these days.

"Joel is big strong striker and he holds the ball up well. We know we have goals in us and Joel is a food finisher as he showed."

It is back to league action for Hadleigh on Tuesday night as they head to Brantham Athletic with a depleted squad.

Brantham are a god side with good manger and I'm sure they will be right up there this year," said Holder. "We will have to a assess who we have fit and I might even have to play myself."

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