Farnham Town came from behind to beat Burgess Hill Town 3-1 and reach the third qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Goals from Mat Mackenzie, Sam Evans and Jack Dean fired Town to victory in the second qualifying round tie at The Memorial Ground.

The visitors created the first chance of the afternoon in the fifth minute when Martyn Box played a give and go with Ben Pope and hit a low shot which was well held by Town keeper Zaki Oualah.

Burgess Hill went close again on 12 minutes when Harry Lawson whipped his shot just past the far left-hand post from inside the box.

The visitors did take the lead in the 16th minute when Box headed home into the left-hand corner of the net from the middle of the box.

Farnham almost got back on level terms five minutes later when Ogo Obi collected the ball on the edge of the box and looked to pick out the top right-hand corner of the net, but he bent his effort just over the bar.

Pope nearly doubled Burgess Hill’s advantage a minute later when his shot from just outside the box clipped the outside of the right-hand post.

Town got back on level terms on 36 minutes when Mackenzie took aim from the edge of the box and hit his right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The visitors nearly regained the lead just before half-time when George Vorster cut in from the right and hit a left-foot shot which was heading for the top left-hand corner until it was superbly tipped over the bar by Oualah.

Town boss Paul Johnson made a quadruple change in the 56th minute with Joe Jackson, Owen Dean, Darryl Sanders and Imran Uche replacing Jordan Stepney, Obi, Great Evans and Tom Leggett.

The hosts took the lead three minutes later when Jack Dean won the ball high up the pitch and it was worked to Sam Evans on the edge of the box, who slammed his finish into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Johnson made his fifth and final change of the afternoon on 68 minutes when Harry Cooksley replaced Mackenzie to make his first appearance of the season after spending the summer on Love Island.

Town nearly scored their third of the afternoon two minutes later when Sanders’ shot from outside the box forced a save from Burgess Hill keeper Roco Rees.

Farnham produced a superb move in the 76th minute when Jackson strode forward and slid in Owen Dean, who backheeled the ball to Sanders, but Sanders’ effort went just wide of the far left-hand post.

Burgess Hill were reduced to ten men on 84 minutes when Bobby Price was sent off for a strong challenge on Owen Dean.

Town made it 3-1 from the resulting free kick when Cooksley’s low strike was spilled by Rees and Sanders collected the loose ball and laid it off to Jack Dean, who buried his finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Farnham almost made it four on 90 minutes when Sanders drove forward and slipped in Owen Dean, whose low shot hit the left-hand post and bounced into Rees’ arms.

Next up for Farnham is a home game against Taunton Town in the Southern League Premier South on Saturday, September 20 (3pm kick-off).