Two first half goals gave Valley a solid platform to move smoothly into the next round with this convincing win over Isthmian League Premier Division side Hastings United.
Valley dominated the early exchanges, with a third minute shot from Dan Bennett flashing narrowly wide of Louis Rogers’ goal.
Ade Adeyemo fired against the far post with a 20 yard drive before the hosts made their early superiority count.
As pressure mounted on the Hastings goal, a corner from the right was met with a bullet like header from Sonny Black to give the Millers a deserved lead.
In a dominant opening 20 minutes, Adam Coombes was denied by a sprawling save from Rogers, with U’s struggling to mount a meaningful attack as the home defence stood firm.
The lead was extended however in the 36th minute.
Kiki Oshilaja – having his best game yet in Millers Green – won a strong midfield challenge before supplying the ball to Adeyemo on the left. The Valley front man burst towards the Hastings bye-line before pulling the ball back for Bennett to fire low past Rogers.
The U’s threatened briefly as the interval approached – James Hull heading wide from Gil Carvalho’s left wing cross – but the fact that this was Hastings’ first notable sortee on the Valley goal was indicative of the hosts domination.
Despite manager Gary Elphick sending his troops out early for the second half - and making two substitutions -, little changed for the beleaguered visitors as Coombes slid an effort narrowly wide of the target after being set up by Adeyemo.
Ten minutes after the break, the match was effectively killed off as a contest when Kershaney Samuels and the impressive Black combined to supply the ball to Tom Chambers on the left. The enterprising wing back’s excellent cross was finished with aplomb by Bennett to the approval of the Valley support at the Middle Park Road end of the ground.
The fact that it took Hastings until the 73rd minute to register only their second corner of the match is indicative of the ease with which the Valley defence protected Chris Lewington’s goal – the only point of note as the clock ticked down being a Barney Williams drive for the hosts which went narrowly wide 14 minutes from the end.

MATCH RATING: - ****

MAN OF THE MATCH – Sonny Black

MILLERS : Lewington, Dymond ©, Chambers, Oshilaja, Tumkaya, Gayle, Black, Coombes (Asaam 90), Samuels, Bennett (Ibrahiym 64), Adeyemo (Williams 73)
Substitute Not Used : Douglas

U’S : Rogers, O’Mara, Chalmers, Carvalho, Dixon, Brefo, Brown (Adams 46), Hull, Penn (Black 61), Elliott, Moynes (Dawes 46)
Substitutes Not Used : Worrall, Barry, Peaock, Scott
Caution : O’Mara

Referee : Oliver Morris-Sanders
Assistants : Ronald Albert and Christopher Caskey

Match Photos by Suman Birta see link
https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/photos/fa-cup--millers-v-hastings-united-3922-photos-suman-birta-1029779.html

Pic – Sonny Black’s bullet header flies past Louis Rogers to give Valley a 13th minute lead