An eighty seventh minute header by Elliot Owen was enough to See Stocksbridge Park Steels edge past Prestwich Heys at a sunny Bracken Moor Stadium on Saturday.
Heys came into this one on the back of league defeats in the opening two games gave a start to midfielder Brad Sullivan who returned to the club in the week from Ramsbottom United while Northern Premier League side Stocksbridge were playing their first competitive game of the season.
It was the hosts who took control quickly with a series of chances in the opening thirty minutes with Jack Haslam busy having a shot cleared off the line by Heys defender Natham Bartram Conway and firing a couple of shots over the bar.
Ash Butterworth's header brought a great save by Louis Hood in the Prestwich goal and Alex Hardwick also seeing a chance cleared off the line after a goalmouth scrap as Stocksbridge dominated.
But in the closing stages of the half Heys started to grow in confidence and get into this one and a free kick on the right from Dylan Fitzgerald on thirty three minutes brought a terrific save from home keeper Harry Garman.
Shorty after great work by Gabriel Mooney-Munoz found Sullivan but his shot was blocked on the turn and then Erike Sousa powered down the right bringing another save from Garman.
Fitzgerald again saw a header go wide and one felt the visitors did not want the half time whistle to come ending the half in dominant style.
So, goal less at the break and it was the hosts first to show in the second half firing over the bar and the Sousa for Prestwich again down the right seeing his shot blocked but the deadlock was broken on fifty six minutes Heys keeper Hood failed to clear his lines and punched the ball goal bound where Phillipson was waiting for the easiest of tap ins to but Stocksbridge 1-0 up.
Worse was to follow for Heys moments later, a rash challenge on Fenton Reeves by Alex O'Connor led to retaliation from both him and younger brother Sonny Reeves and after much discussion with the linesman the referee decided to show them both red cards putting the visitors down to nine men.
Prestwich made several
substitutions shortly after to freshen up the two-man deficit and this seemed to galvanise them as they battled on Sousa still looking lively down the right catching the hosts on the break a couple of times.
Stocksbridge did have the ball in the net on seventy eight minutes but were ruled out for offside and then it was joy for the nine men on eighty one minutes as an in swinging corner on the right found the head of Bartram-Conway who made no mistake with his header from six yards past Garman at the post for 1-1 to the joy of the travelling support..
Back came Stocksbridge pressing hard with the two man advantage and were rewarded with a minute to go another corner found the head of Elliot Owen who headed in at the far post to put the hosts back in front.
Nine minutes of injury time followed, Heys keeper Hood launched a free kick deep into the box but its scrambled clear and the referee blowed for full time to end this entertaining contest.
So, Heys bow out of this seasons FA Cup and will reflect on the two key moments that cost them along with again conceding a late goal in a game but nonetheless this was a great effort against a team from a league above and if they keep battling the way they are luck will surely take a turn for the better soon.
Comentarios