Football: BEMERTON Heath Harlequins enjoyed the biggest pay day in their short 13-year history on Saturday when they landed a £7,500 FA Cup jackpot.

Their far from convincing 2-1 success against Shortwood United at Western Way secured them a trip to Screwfix Western strugglers Team Bath in the next round and the chance to take their earnings from this season's competition to a hefty £16,000.

They received £1,000 for their win at Street in the preliminary round.

Manager Steve Slade was cock-a-hoop after seeing his side progress to the second qualifying stage of the competition for the first time since 1993.

However, the Heath boss admitted his side had rode their luck at times against a lively Gloucestershire outfit who had squandered numerous first half chances.

Slade said: "How we were 2-0 up at half-time I just don't know. We were dreadful in the first half.

"I told them that if they played like that again in the second half we'd get beaten.

"To be fair to them we've defended stoutly in the box and have got some last ditch tackles in. But Shortwood must still be wondering how they lost that match."

Keith Richardson put the home side ahead on ten minutes before Neil Cole doubled their advantage against the run of play on the stroke of half time.

'Keeper Colin Hop-kins impressed throughout, but was finally beaten late on to set up a tense finale.

Asked what the financial reward for the win meant to the Jewson Wessex League minnows, Slade said: "It's absolute lifeblood. We run seven or eight sides here and that takes a tremendous amount of funding just to break even. A windfall like this is just fantastic. The money the FA Cup generates is a huge carrot for clubs at our level.

"We're into fantasy world now, but if we win our next game that will mean we'll have banked £16,000 from the competition. Right now we'll settle for the £8,500 we've got."