Battling Bath City have another chance to see off Dover Athletic in The FA Trophy Fourth Round – but will rue having let a two-goal lead slip against a team in the division above.
The Conference South side were leading 3-1 against 10-man Dover, who had already had 12-goal striker Stefan Payne sent off at the end of the first-half.
FA Trophy
Fourth Round Proper
Saturday 7 February 2015
Winning sides receive £8,000
But Dover hit back late in the game through Richard Orlu and Jake Reid to secure a replay at Twerton Park on Tuesday 10 February.
Payne had put Dover in the lead at The Crabble in the first half before receiving his marching orders.
Then after a period of sustained pressure, Andy Gallinagh sent Bath City level with a pretty left-footed effort that nestled in the corner of the net.
They had Dover on the ropes and landed another punch when Ross Stearn smacked home to put the Conference South in the lead with just 20 minutes remaining.
Dover did hit the post. but Stearn appeared to have killed the tie with an unstoppable effort that flew into the top corner of the net to make it 3-1 with less than ten minutes left on the clock.
But two late goals from Conference Premier side Dover forced a replay.
Meanwhile FC United of Manchester went so close to forcing a replay of their own against former Football League side Torquay United, only to see their hopes dashed by a late Ryan Bowman strike.
They more than held their own against the side 39 league places higher up the football pyramid and flashed a few balls across the box as the second half wore on.
But in the end the Devon side's class showed as Bowman craftily beat the offside trap to score a late winner, devastating the massed ranks of well over 1,000 supporters who made the journey down from Manchester.
Meanwhile North Ferriby United sealed a place in the semi-finals thanks to a late Liam King penalty. Defender Kenny Clark was dismissed after the coming together in the box, as the North Yorkshire side edged a competitive tie played in front of a crowd of 610.
In the day's Third Round replay goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was Wrexham's hero as his save set up a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win at Gateshead, after the teams were tied 2-2 AET.
Louis Moult struck the winning penalty after the two Conference Premier sides could not be separated over the course of 120 minutes.
Albania Under-21 international Valentin Gjokaj smashed the hosts ahead after just two minutes with a 20-yard screamer to open his goalscoring account with the Heed.
Just as Gateshead scored early in the first half, the Welsh side struck just 63 seconds into the second as Connor Jennings volleyed them level.
It was a cracking strike from the edge of the penalty area and Wrexham carried that momentum on, with Wes York heading them into the lead in the closing stages of normal time.
But Michael Rankine levelled it up late on, before Bachmann stepped up to the mark with a string of saves in extra time and a crucial stop in the shoot-out as the Dragons progressed.
FC Halifax Town eased past Dartford with a controlling performance that was rewarded with a deserved 3-1 win.
The match was played at Droylsden's Butchers Arms ground, with the pitch at The Shay not being quite up to the task. But they looked at home, with Matty Pearson leading the charge as they caught Dartford on the hop in the opening phases.
They were well on top for most of the half and got their just rewards with strikes from Marc Roberts and Scotty Boden putting them in a commanding position at the break.
Andy Pugh did pull one back for The Darts, who looked set to emulate the impressive comeback they mounted in the original tie. But Steve Williams made sure history wasn't repeated with a powerful header midway through the second half.
The Shaymen will now host Wrexham in the FA Trophy fourth round at The Shay on Tuesday night at 7.45pm.
