Kidsgrove Athletic fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Warrington Town before beating the Yellows 4-2 on penalties to progress in the Integro Sports Cup.
The Cheshire side were 2-0 up with just eight minutes to go and, it looked like the Grove was going to crash out of the competition. However, goals from Kyle Blake and Anthony Malbon ensure the game went to penalties.
From the spot James Jennings, Lewis Bergin, Kingsley Adu-Gymafi and Rhys Thompson all netted for the Grove as they won 4-2 on penalties.
Manager Ryan Austin rung the changes from Saturday’s defeat to Loughborough Dynamo with Dom Kurasik, Lewis Bergin, Tyler Savage, James Jennings and Kingsley Adu-Gyamfi all starting in place of Kieran Harrison, Sam Hall and Malbon. Blake captained the side in Malbon’s absence.
The hosts started well with Savage forcing a save out of Marcus Burgess in the Warrington goal after just seven minutes of play. Before Jimmy Phillips should have had a penalty when he burst into the area before being bundled over by a couple of Warrington players.
From there Warrington started to get into the game with Scott Sephton going close before Jewad Jerbin opened the scoring as he put the ball under the dive of Kurasik on 28 minutes.
The Yellows could have gone 2-0 up just seconds before the half-time whistle when Alex Bryne saw his shot hit the post before the ball bounced to Iwan Murray. But, he couldn’t direct the effort into the open net.
Murray doubled Warrington’s lead on 57 minutes when he went on a jinking run to the outside of the area before putting the ball past the dive of Kuarsik.
Malbon should have pulled one back for the Grove when Adu-Gyamfi laid the ball off to him on edge of the area. However, the captains shot was straight at Burgess, who made a comfortable save.
The Grove pulled one back on 82 minutes when an Alex Morris cross was headed back across goal by Bergin to Blake who beat his man to head home for Kidsgrove.
It sparked Kidsgrove into life when Jennings found Malbon with a pinpoint cross and the Captain was able to complete the comeback with a diving header.
The game went to penalties where Mitchell Duggan and Sheldon Jordan put their efforts over the bar for Warrington. While Jennings, Bergin, Adu-Gyamfi and Thompson all scored their efforts to see Kidsgrove progress.
Kidsgrove Athletic: Kurasik, Hart, Morris, Thompson, Bergin, Butler, Savage (Malbon, 50), Blake, Jennings, Adu-Gymafi and Phillips.
Unused subs: Duffy, Hall and Harrison.
Warrington Town: Burgess, Kanu, Carden, Sephton, Duggan, Richards, Byrne, Sharp, Jordan, Murphy (Mohammed, 82) and Jerbin (Cassidy, 70).
Unused sub: Yates
Attendance: 99
