The Class of 2015 succeeded where the classes of 2008, 1990 and 1987 all failed as Chasetown FC knocked Evesham United out of the FA Cup for the first time.
The visitors came into this tie having won the three previous encounters 2-0 – and it was by that scoreline that The Scholars progressed this time around.
The home side had the lion’s share of the possession but it wasn’t until the 20th minute that the first real chance appeared. Lewis Rankin motored past former Chasetown player Linden Dovey who tugged the winger’s shirt inside the penalty area.
Paul Sullivan struck the spot kick powerfully but keeper Kevin Sawyer saved well high to his right to claw the ball away with his left glove.
After the break, the hosts continued to be the side most likely to score and a sumptuous pass from substitute Nathan Waite sent Lee Butler clear who returned the pass to Waite who saw the ball nicked off his foot. The loose ball returned to Butler whose deep cross was headed against the outside of the post by Sullivan.
Within seconds though Butler teed up a cross to the near post and Waite poached to dive in to give Chasetown the lead with just 15 minutes remaining on the clock.
John Bateman preserved the lead with a spectacular fingertip save from Evesham substitute Kevin Slack in the 85th minute before in stoppage time Richard Davies doubled the margin of victory with a superb individual goal, drilling into the bottom left hand corner after ghosting past three men on the edge of the box.
The Scholars meet Grantham at home in a fortnight in the next round.
The result also means that Chasetown’s game at Romulus will go ahead today (August 31), kick-off 7.45pm, due to the Scholars not facing a replay.
Chasetown: Bateman, Thompson, Haynes, Slater, Francis, Brown, Mugisha (Waite, 66 mins), Davies, Dance (Gould, 82 mins), Sullivan, Rankin (Butler, 59 mins). Subs not used: Hayden, Opoku, Quinn, Burns.