Oldham manager Harry Kewell was relieved after his League Two side triumphed 3-2 at Hampton and Richmond and avoided an FA Cup banana skin.

The visitors were hanging on towards the end at the Beveree Stadium, but made it through to round two against the National League South hopefuls thanks to strikes from Ben Garrity, Bobby Grant and skipper Danny Rowe.

Kewell said: “I’m really glad to get through the tie.

“It doesn’t matter whether you beat someone by five or six, or just the one goal, it’s the result that counts and it was a tough game.

“It was a typical, traditional FA Cup game, and that’s what we expected.

“Once we saw the way Hampton set up, we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy afternoon.

“I’m just really pleased with the application from all of my players, though.

“The way they’ve stepped up the way they had to was excellent.”

Latics triumphed against the Beavers for the second time in three seasons and still have not lost in the first round against non-league opposition since 1972.

Oldham went in front after six minutes when Grant crossed for Garrity and he side-footed home comfortably.

Grant then glanced a header against the post as he darted in to meet skipper for the day Danny Rowe’s free-kick.

The non-league side levelled it up on the half-hour mark when Sam Deadfield confidently beat Ian Lawlor from the penalty spot after the Oldham goalkeeper had upended Ruaridh Donaldson.

Oldham struck again just before the interval as Grant converted Dylan Fage’s low cross.

Rowe made it 3-1 in the 49th minute when he pounced on a poor clearance before curling home from 10 yards.

Deadfield reduced Borough’s deficit with 16 minutes to go as he finished off Donaldson’s cross from close range, before Rowe thumped the post from 25 yards at the other end.

Borough were reduced to 10 men when Tyrell Miller-Rodney was shown a red card for a second caution just as the game entered stoppage-time for pushing Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.