[1] The next three matches were also lost and there was a "palpable sense of relief"[1] in the town when the Saints defeated Newbury in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on 15 October.

[2] In an attempt to strengthen the side, the committee then advertised for players in the "athletic press";[2] the first major new signing was Jack Dorkin, who was "bought out" of his service with the Royal Engineers based at Chatham in Kent.

As with Jack Dollin, his status was rather ambiguous initially with the club maintaining that he should be "reckoned as an amateur player",[2] although he was signed too late to be able to play in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Most notable of these was the penultimate match of the season, played at the County Ground on 26 April 1893 against Stoke who were founder members of The Football League and were seventh in the First Division.

Another large crowd, "packed around the ropes like peas in a pod (with) the grandstand full to overflowing"[4] witnessed a comprehensive defeat, with Stoke winning 8–0 as the Saints were "outplayed fairly and squarely on every point".

[4] The size of the defeat in this match served to bring home the need for St. Mary's to look outside the local area for players; within little over a year, the Saints had signed three of the Stoke team (forward Charles Baker and half-backs Alf Littlehales and Lachie Thomson) in readiness for their first season in the Southern League.

[5] Taylor was engaged by St. Mary's as an amateur and made his competitive debut on 15 April 1893 in the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup.

Although the team was boosted by Ernie Nicholls (who had returned from his temporary absence) and George Ridges (on loan from Freemantle), they suffered a 4–0 defeat.

The final, played at the County Ground on 11 March, generated great excitement in the town and produced a crowd estimated at 7,000 and gate receipts of £122.

The Bournemouth Guardian reported: "the attendance completely upset all ideas as to the accommodation that would be required, and the magnificent spectacle of between 6,000 and 7,000 excited individuals massed together round the field of play ... was one that Hampshire and indeed none of the counties south of the Thames and this side of London has ever witnessed at an Association football match.

[3] After the match, captain George Carter protested to the referee that the foul had been committed outside the penalty area, saying that he could point out the exact spot where the offence occurred.