Brackley Town Overpowers Woking 6-2 in FA Cup Statement, Lowe Leads as Hosts Rewrite October Fortunes at St James Park

A cup tie that began with tension spiraled into a rout, as Brackley Town thundered through Woking 6-2 amid the early autumn chill at St James Park on Tuesday night—a performance that not only propelled the Saints forward in the FA Cup, but offered a resounding answer to their recent malaise.

It took scarcely two minutes for Woking to hint at the dramatic, capitalizing on early uncertainty in the Brackley back line to seize a 1-0 lead, to the groans of the home crowd. For a brief spell, it felt as though the visitors’ doggedness, so evident in their recent spate of draws and hard-fought encounters, might yet have Brackley in retreat once more.

But if anxiety hovered, it was dispelled within moments by the tireless Marcus Lowe. Only six minutes after the opener, Lowe darted into the box, latching onto a well-measured ball before finishing crisply to draw Brackley level at 1-1. The home side, whose scoring had run dry amid a punishing league stretch—three straight defeats prior to this week—rode that surge back into the contest.

The match’s pivotal moment, however, would be shaped less by skill than circumstance. A rash, ill-timed tackle just past the 20-minute mark reduced Woking to ten men with a straight red, upending the rhythm and ceding the initiative to Brackley. It was a turning point from which Woking never truly recovered, their numerical disadvantage exposed ever more as Brackley’s confidence grew.

By the 18th minute, Brackley’s momentum crystallized: a well-worked move through midfield found its way to the edge of the penalty area, culminating in a low drive that eluded the visiting keeper and gave the Saints their first lead, 2-1. The home crowd, subdued by recent results, found fresh voice. Yet, to Woking’s credit, resolve remained. Just on the cusp of halftime, they found an equalizer—2-2—off a set piece, the kind of gritty, opportunistic play that has defined much of their campaign.

If the first half was fraught and finely balanced, the second belonged solely to Brackley. Lowe, a bright spot amid Brackley’s stormy autumn, delivered again in the 64th minute, his strike restoring the lead before a flurry of clinical finishes. Three minutes later, the Saints struck yet again—stretching the advantage to 4-2 and sapping the last of Woking’s resistance.

For the visitors, down to ten, the contest soon became an exercise in containment. But Brackley were relentless. S. Pollock’s composed finish with five minutes to play punctuated a sparkling team move, and a stoppage-time goal from a late substitute completed a scoreline that will reverberate beyond St James Park.

The result was as emphatic as it was cathartic. Brackley, winless in three prior to Saturday’s FA Cup stalemate at Woking—a 1-1 draw that did little to calm nerves—have now rediscovered their offensive bite. Lowe’s brace stole the spotlight, but this was a display that showcased collective resolve and attacking verve absent in early October’s league losses to FC Halifax Town, Wealdstone, and Solihull Moors.

For Woking, the defeat is doubly bitter. Their run of form—sturdy but unspectacular, with a string of draws and a lone win at Solihull Moors since late September—had hinted at dogged resilience. Yet tonight, discipline failed them at a critical juncture. The early red card not only shifted the match’s trajectory but also spotlights a problem that threatens to derail their campaign as the FA Cup recedes from view.

Brackley’s players and supporters alike will savor the wider implications. With this victory, the Saints not only progress in the Cup but also inject much-needed optimism into a season that had seemed stuck in reverse after a bright start. Their attack, once blunted, now looks to have rediscovered its edge—a timely boost as the league campaign resumes.

For Woking, a rueful reckoning awaits. Their ability to snatch results despite adversity had been a calling card; now, their mettle will be tested by the deflation of a heavy defeat and the shadow of disciplinary questions. If the early weeks of October brought hope of turning draws into victories, tonight’s collapse at St James Park is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can unravel.

As both teams turn back to the National League, the storylines diverge. Brackley Town, having emphatically answered their early-season critics, will look to parlay their cup form into league points and climb out of the lower reaches. Woking, meanwhile, must regroup, restore discipline, and rediscover their defensive shape if they hope to arrest a slide that could define their autumn.

On a night when the FA Cup delivered chaos and character in equal measure, Brackley Town announced themselves as a team reborn. For Woking, the road ahead suddenly looks considerably steeper.