SORRY Hampton & Richmond were dumped out of the FA Cup 6-2 by a team from a level below them on Saturday.
Southern League Premier side Arlesey Town, who also put Hampton out of the FA Trophy in the clubs' only previous meeting seven years ago, piled the pressure on Beavers boss Mark Harper.
It took the hosts barely a minute to take the lead, Lee Allinson firing home a free kick from the edge of the box following a foul by Bradley Simmonds.
Hampton looked to hit back straight away, with Matt Ruby coming within a hair's breadth of getting his head to Paul Johnson's free kick, before a superb goal-bound shot on the turn from Stuart Duff was blocked.
But Arlesey showed how much of a danger they still were, with Rodney Chiweshe having to save smartly from Chris Marsh when clean through, while Ruby hacked off the line with Chris Dillon waiting to pounce.
Hampton, however, were level on 27 minutes, Dave Tarpey showing a rare moment of class from the men in red when he let rip from 40 yards out, his shot having enough direction and power to dip over the keeper's head and just under the bar.
The visitors' joy was short-lived, however, as seven minutes later, Arlesey were back in front when Marsh got his head to a Dean Sinclair cross to beat Chiweshe.
As the game swung from end to end, home keeper Mark Osborn made a brilliant save from Tarpey, before Duff headed a Nathan Collier cross wide from point-blank range, while down at the other end, Allinson found himself one one one after a Dean Inman slip, but Chiweshe saved.
There was nothing the Beavers keeper could do a minute before the break, however, as Joel Mason latched onto an Allinson through-ball to slot home Arlesey's third.
Had the referee awarded what seemed a blatant penalty for a foul on James Simmonds in first half stoppage time, the second half might have been a different story. As it was, nothing was given, and just like in the first half, Arlesey notched in the first minute of the second, Dillon firing home from the edge of the area.
Any lingering Hampton hopes were killed off on 58 minutes when Allinson's cross-shot from way out on the left touchline beat everyone, including Chiweshe, as it sailed over his head and in at the far post, while four minutes later, Allinson's corner was headed home by Ryan Frater for 6-1.
It could have been even worse for Hampton when Frater skied over from the edge of the area, but, frustratingly for the visitors, they went and squandered a string of excellent chances in the closing stages which could have earned them an unlikely draw.
First, Osborn made outstanding saves from Tarpey and Simmonds, before Tarpey headed wide when it seemed easier for both to score, and Jacob Erskine somehow headed wide from right in front of an empty net after Charlie Moone's shot was parried by Osborn.
Erskine finally pulled a second goal back for Hampton with 10 minutes left with a tap-in from a Tarpey cross, but Harper's men were left to rue what might have been while hanging their heads in shame at the final whistle.
