FA Cup 2026-27: Third Qualifying Round Analysis & Pick

FA Cup: Third Qualifying Round

FA Cup 2026-27 Third Qualifying Round will witness 40 games being played in England on October 3. There are a number of intriguing matchups that involve clubs belonging to different leagues. Here, we analyze eight of those fixtures and talk about their teams, their recent form, location, and other important factors. The analysis also delivers the pick for each selected match.

FA Cup Third Qualifying Round: Event Details

Event	Details
Main Event	FA Cup 2026-27
Schedule	Third Qualifying Round
Total Matches	40
Date	3 October 2026
Venue	Multiple Grassroots Location across England

FA Cup: Third Qualifying Round Full Schedule

No.	Date & Day	Fixture	Kick-off
1	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Macclesfield vs Scarborough Athletic	3:00 PM BST
2	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Marine vs Warrington Town	3:00 PM BST
3	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Trafford vs Atherton Collieries	3:00 PM BST
4	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Guiseley AFC vs Bradford (Park Avenue)	3:00 PM BST
5	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Gainsborough Trinity vs Anstey Nomads	3:00 PM BST
6	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Morecambe vs Darlington	3:00 PM BST
7	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Buxton vs South Shields	3:00 PM BST
8	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Bury vs Bromsgrove Sporting	3:00 PM BST
9	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Barton Town vs Chorley	3:00 PM BST
10	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Worksop Town vs FC United of Manchester	3:00 PM BST
11	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Stafford Rangers vs Halesowen Town	3:00 PM BST
12	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Spennymoor Town vs Chester	3:00 PM BST
13	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Mulbarton Wanderers vs Gloucester City	3:00 PM BST
14	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Bury Town vs Spalding United	3:00 PM BST
15	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Harborough Town vs St Albans City	3:00 PM BST
16	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Bedford Town vs Wingate & Finchley	3:00 PM BST
17	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Kettering Town vs Worcester City	3:00 PM BST
18	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Cambridge City vs Alvechurch	3:00 PM BST
19	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Brackley Town vs Chelmsford City	3:00 PM BST
20	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Chesham United vs Real Bedford	3:00 PM BST
21	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Oxford City vs Enfield Town	3:00 PM BST
22	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Brentwood Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge	12:30 PM BST
23	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Leiston vs Coventry United	3:00 PM BST
24	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Redditch United vs Berkhamsted	3:00 PM BST
25	Saturday, 3 October 2026	AFC Rushden & Diamonds vs Braintree Town	3:00 PM BST
26	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Dorking Wanderers vs Chatham Town	3:00 PM BST
27	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Truro City vs Cirencester Town	3:00 PM BST
28	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Tonbridge Angels vs Torquay United	3:00 PM BST
29	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Weymouth vs SE Dons	3:00 PM BST
30	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Sheppey United vs Chertsey Town	3:00 PM BST
31	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Cray Wanderers vs Chippenham Town	3:00 PM BST
32	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Crowborough Athletic vs Wimborne Town	3:00 PM BST
33	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Plymouth Parkway vs Horsham	3:00 PM BST
34	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Uxbridge vs Hungerford Town	3:00 PM BST
35	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Ebbsfleet United vs Sholing	3:00 PM BST
36	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Salisbury vs Dulwich Hamlet	3:00 PM BST
37	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Thame United vs Eastbourne Borough	3:00 PM BST
38	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Hanwell Town vs Dover Athletic	3:00 PM BST
39	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Tadley Calleva vs Dartford	3:00 PM BST
40	Saturday, 3 October 2026	Leatherhead vs Hanworth Villa	3:00 PM BST

FA Cup: Third Qualifying Round Key Match Schedule

Date & Day	Fixture	ET	PT	IST	Venue	Why Selected
3 October 2026, Saturday	Brentwood Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge	7:30 AM	4:30 AM	5:00 PM	The Arena, Brentwood	Dagenham were 2nd in National League South. The match also has confirmed BBC Sport coverage.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Macclesfield vs Scarborough Athletic	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	Moss Rose Ground	Macclesfield were 2nd in National League North. Scarborough were also a National League North side.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Oxford City vs Enfield Town	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	Court Place Farm	Oxford City were 3rd in National League North.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Buxton vs South Shields	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	The Tarmac Silverlands Stadium	South Shields were 4th, while Buxton were 9th in National League North. Both are Step 2 clubs.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Spennymoor Town vs Chester	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	The Brewery Field	Chester were 7th in National League North. The fixture is confirmed at Spennymoor’s home ground.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Bedford Town vs Wingate & Finchley	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	The Eyrie	Bedford Town were 10th in National League North. The club confirms the FA Cup tie at The Eyrie.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Morecambe vs Darlington	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	Halo Aerospace Stadium	Morecambe were 11th in National League North. Darlington were also in the division.
3 October 2026, Saturday	Barton Town vs Chorley	10:00 AM	7:00 AM	7:30 PM	The Easy Buy Stadium	Chorley were 12th in National League North. Barton Town provide the lower-division opponent in this tie.

FA Cup 2026-27: Third Qualifying Round

Key Match Analysis

Match 1: Brentwood Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Event	Details
Fixture	Brentwood Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge
Date	3 October 2026 (Saturday)
Time	07:30 AM ET | 04:30 AM PT | 05:00 PM IST
Venue	The Arena, Brentwood
Broadcast	BBC Sport, ESPN+, Sony LIV

FA Cup Expected Lineups

Brentwood Town

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Aiden Prall
Defenders	Wyan Reid, Max Hudson, Aron Pollock, Matt Cripps, Andy Freeman, Tommy Davis, Harry Gibbs
Midfielders	Luke Read, Ben Steward, Ansu Janneh, Emmanuel Harvest, Cameron Forde-Brown
Forwards	Freddie Sears, Nat Mardell, Bradley Sach, Benas Vaivada, Aaron Sterling, Jesse Olukolu, Malachi Linton
Head Coach / First-Team Manager	Brett Munyard

Dagenham & Redbridge

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Nathan Ashmore, Phil Ogayi
Defenders	Samuel Adenola, Liam Vincent, Sam Graham, Jet Dyer, Henry Hawkins, Jack Bateson, Josh Addae
Midfielders	George Marsh, Harry Beautyman, Kane Crichlow, Antony Papadopoulos, Archie Tamplin, Charles Clayden, Kayden Harrack, Timothee Dieng
Forwards	Davide Rodari, Andy Carroll, Noah Coppin, Kymani Thomas, Stan Leech
Head Coach / Manager	Lee Allinson

Recent Form and Comparison

Brentwood Town has drawn and then won a 4-2 replay victory against Concord Rangers. Then they won against Aveley with a 3-2 win in the FA Cup 2^nd qualifying round. Dagenham & Redbridge is settled in the higher tier at the North League South. The higher-tier Daggers drew 1-1 and won 3-0 in the replay against Waltham Abbey in the FA Cup.

Match Analysis

This fixture brought historic television cameras to The Arena for the first time. Lower-tier Brentwood Town has strong motivation to create an upset against the Daggers. Here, Dagenham & Redbridge hold a clear division advantage. The away team (Dagenham) has shown a clear win in their recent match, 3-0. They rely on superior squad depth to control the midfield speed. Expect the Daggers to move forward if they manage the energetic early pressure from the home team.

The Pick: Dagenham & Redbridge

Match 2: Macclesfield vs Scarborough Athletic

Event	Details
Fixture	Macclesfield vs Scarborough Athletic
Date	3 October 2026 (Saturday)
Time	10:00 AM ET | 07:00 AM PT | 07:30 PM IST
Venue	Moss Rose Ground
Broadcast	BBC Sport, ESPN+, Sony LIV

FA Cup Expected Lineups

Macclesfield

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Christian Dibble, Paul Cooper
Defenders	Luke Matheson, Lincoln McFayden, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Sam Heathcote, Luis Lacey, Tom Wilson, Hassan Ayub, Ammar Dyer, Ed Ikpakwu, Brandon Lee
Midfielders	Elliot Osborne, Paul Dawson, George Wilson, Fin Shrimpton, Carlos Dos Santos, Josh Kay, Matthew Apter
Forwards	Theo Chapman, Adan George, Danny Elliott, Luke Duffy, Jon Ustabasi, Veron Parny
Head Coach / Manager	John Rooney

Scarborough Athletic

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Ryan Whitley
Defenders	Jake Hull, Jack Waldron, Luca Stuttard, Ross Aaron Pllu, Kieran Weledji, Michael Duckworth, William Wells, Alex Brown
Midfielders	Luke Hall, Alfie Bradshaw, Jack Harry Smith, Lewis Maloney, Alex Purver, Alex Wiles, Dom Tear
Forwards	Mo Fadera, Rio Allan, Harry Green, Luca Colville
Head Coach / Manager	Jonathan Greening

Recent Form & Comparison

The Silkmen (Macclesfield) sit 2^nd in the league table with 21 points from 10 games. They defeated Redcar Athletic 2-1 in the previous FA Cup round. The Seadog (Scarborough Athletic) holds a chaotic recent record. They advanced in the FA Cup by defeating Dunston 2-0 away from home.

Match Analysis

This fixture once again met at the Moss Rose arena. This is the second time in a month. Their recent league match on September 8 ended in a tight 0-0 draw. Macclesfield has excellent defensive form. They conceded only 6 goals in 10 league matches. Scarborough Athletic is still a tough competitor, even when playing away from home. This match will be decided by a fine tactical margin in the score. A single goal could secure passage to the next round.

The Pick: Macclesfield

Match 3: Oxford City vs Enfield Town

Event	Details
Fixture	Oxford City vs Enfield Town
Date	3 October 2026 (Saturday)
Time	10:00 AM ET | 07:00 AM PT | 07:30 PM IST
Venue	Court Place Farm
Broadcast	BBC Sport, ESPN+, Sony LIV

FA Cup Expected Lineups

Oxford City

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Jonny Maxted, Max Treml
Defenders	Keegan Bloom, Evan Humphries, Ludwig Francillette, Darnell Johnson, Canice Carroll, Deago Nelson, Caleb Moir, Aydin Ulas
Midfielders	Josh Ashby, Scott Pollock, Dejan Tetek, Zac McEachran, Alfie Potter, Tyrae Njogu, Brayden Daniel
Forwards	Tyrone Marsh, Ellis Brown, Matty Taylor, Ewan Clark, Jamie Odegah, Dillon De Silva, Kauan
Head Coach / Manager	Ross Jenkins

Enfield Town

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Dylan Thompson, Matt Setters
Defenders	Adam Thompson, Ayo Tanimowo, Edwin Mensah, Franklin Domi, Jay Lambert, Junior Velasquez, Mickey Parcell, Sonny Hart
Midfielders	Amrit Bansal-McNulty, Billy Leonard, Declan Rydings, Finlay Corrigan, Jesse Akubuine, Jez Davies, Sam Youngs, Sean Tarima, Tariq Al-Sadi
Forwards	Eli Ackason, Kaobi Efobi, Luke Deslandes, Luke May-Parrott, Nana Kyei, Olly Davis, Shiloh Remy, Thomas Avgoustidis
Head Coach / Manager	Billy Holland

Recent Form & Comparison

Oxford City delivered an excellent performance in their recent match against Chorley with a 4-0 win. They also beat Radcliffe 3-0 and secured their spot with a 2-0 win over Dorchester Town. Enfield Town comes to the field to create consistency in their roadmap. They will plan to step up to face higher-ranked opposition.

Match Analysis

The Oxford City team comes into the FA Cup game with high-quality finishing skills on their home ground. The team has managed several clean sheets in their most recent competitive games. The Enfield Town team faces an uphill battle against an organized team. The home team will try to dominate possession of the ball early from the midfield. Oxford City has an organizational edge over their opponents on their home turf.

The Pick: Oxford City

Match 4: Buxton vs South Shields

Event	Details
Fixture	Buxton vs South Shields
Date	3 October 2026 (Saturday)
Time	10:00 AM ET | 07:00 AM PT | 07:30 PM IST
Venue	The Tarmac Silverlands Stadium
Broadcast	BBC Sport, ESPN+, Sony LIV

FA Cup Expected Lineups

Buxton

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Kian Johnson, Logan Stretch, Logan Melville, Harry Jack Evans
Defenders	Josh Shaw, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Ben Grist, Liam Brockbank, Aaron O’Reilly, Kieran Burton, Guilherme Leal Siqueira, Noah Wadsworth, Sisa Tuntulwana, Harry Balfe, Dylan Edwin Mantle, George Cooper, Luke Daley
Midfielders	Connor Kirby, Kian Scales, Will Trueman, Ashton Mee, Archie Bingham, Saul Cullen, Luke Evans
Forwards	Tony Weston, Owen Devonport, Johnny Johnston, Samuel Tomlinson, Devlan Moses, Josh Pescatore, Max Woltman
Head Coach / Manager	Jordan Broadbent

South Shields

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Jasper Sheik, Will Anderson
Defenders	Robbie Tinkler, Jordan Marshall, Cain Sykes, Dillon Morse, Ethan Mann, Daniel Dodds, David Carson, Joe Emery
Midfielders	Khanya Leshabela, Toby Onanaye, Jack Roles, Caden Kelly
Forwards	Jordan Jones, Paul Blackett, Sean McGurk, Kyle Crossley, Cedwyn Scott, Sam Ashford, Chinonso Chibueze, Rio Clegg, Adam Campbell
Head Coach / Manager	Mike Williamson

Recent Form & Comparison

Buxton is positioned 9^th in the league table. They made a marginal win over Ashington in the FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying round. South Shields sit 4^th in the league table. They had enormous confidence after defeating Buxton 4-0 in their recent league meeting.

Match Analysis

This match is a direct replay of their recent league meeting. South Shields completely dominated that game with a convincing 4-0 victory. Buxton is looking to get a replay on their home synthetic pitch. The Shields look dangerous in attack and scoring. They scored 11 goals in their recent two games. Buxton must work on their defensive structure and line to avoid another heavy defeat. South Shields remain the favorite based on their recent form.

The Pick: South Shields

Conclusion

Third Qualifying Round matches include a number of highly contested FA Cup games, where different teams and narratives emerge. Depth of the squad, current performance, home-field advantage, and league standing define every chosen game. Dagenham, Macclesfield, Oxford City, and South Shields have emerged as the best options. The games will surely prove to be highly competitive.