Nantwich Town and Shifnal Town will have to meet again on Tuesday after the sides drew 1-1 at The Swansway Stadium, writes Jack Beresford.
The Dabbers started the brighter of the two sides.
Kai Evans forced a smart save out of Yankuba Colley when he let fly from the edge of the area following Callum Saunders blocked freekick.
Not long later, Saunders found himself through on goal, but he blazed over from the right side of the box.
Despite the Dabbers bright start it was the visitors who took the lead after 11 minutes.
Byron Harrison’s loose pass in midfield was picked up by Evan Bagry who drove into the box, cut inside and fired home at the near post.
Three minutes later, Nantwich had a golden chance to level the scores when Troy Bourne was taken out by Colley after he went to punch the ball to away.
Harrison stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to level the scores and redeem himself for the earlier error.
After a short lull, the game soon sparked back into life when Evans struck a freekick from the left side which was well saved by Colley.
Evans was involved in another Dabbers attack as he found Paddy Kay inside the area, Kay cut inside from the left and took aim but his effort was weak and easy for the keeper.
The Dabbers were dominating, and they squandered another opportunity on the half hour mark when Byron Harrison went through on goal, but his touch was heavy and Colley claimed comfortably.
As the game drifted towards half time, Shifnal were awarded a penalty in the second minute of added time when Joel Connolly bought down Joe Cuff.
Kyle Bennett stepped up for the visitors, but his spot kick was saved by Scott Moloney who guessed the right way to keep the scores level as we went into the break.
Much like the first, The Dabbers started the second half the better of the sides and after just five minutes they were awarded their second penalty of the game.
Harrison went through on goal and beat the keeper to the ball before being tripped inside the box.
Luckily for Colley, Harrison was going away from goal and therefore was only shown a yellow card.
Harrison eventually dusted himself down and spotted the ball to take the penalty.
However, this time Harrison’s penalty hit the post and went out for a goal-kick.
As the game went on, both sides pushed for a winning goal.
However, neither side really went close to going ahead until the 76th minute.
Nantwich Town substitute AJ Leitch-Smith linked up well with Harrison down the right side before Leitch-Smith cut inside but fired straight at the keeper.
The game really sparked into life and Dabbers came close again when Evans picked up a loose back pass and took aim but the angle was tight and his effort was cleared away off the line by the Shifnal defender.
From the resulting corner, Troy Bourne headed over at the back post.
With five minutes to go, Troy Bourne was then sent off for a second bookable offence after be bought down Hesson just outside the box.
As the clocked ticked down, Shifnal Town came close when a corner from the right was headed towards goal by Thomas but Moloney comfortably save
As the referee indicated eight minutes of added time, Kai Evans tried his luck from just inside the Shifnal half but his effort narrowly went over the bar to the relief of the backtracking keeper.
After 90 minutes of normal time and eight minutes of added time, the referee blew the whistle and the sides are forced to meet again in a reply that will take place on Tuesday night.
(Images by Jonathan White)
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