Non-league Hereford are in the hat for the Emirates FA Cup third round draw after Calvin Dinsley struck to earn them a superb 1-1 draw at League One Fleetwood Town.
The Bulls, the phoenix club founded in 2014 following the demise of Hereford United, took a first-half lead at Highbury Stadium against a team 89 places above them and despite being pegged back, they can now look forward to welcoming Uwe Rosler’s troops to Edgar Street for a second-round replay.
Midfielder Dinsley, who was promoted into the starting line-up not long before kick-off following an injury to Rob Purdie, who was injured in the warm-up, fired home with 23 minutes on the clock to hand the Bulls a shock lead.
Their elation lasted just seven minutes however, Devante Cole, son of two-time Emirates FA Cup winner Andy Cole, diverting home Lewie Coyle’s delivery to restore parity.
Hereford held on from there on out however and will now have another crack at sinking Fleetwood.
Elsewhere, Maidstone United threatened to pull off an almighty upset at MK Dons but were eventually bested 4-1.
With 25 minutes on the clock, former Colchester United skipper Magnus Okunghae had Stones supporters rocking, the defender converting after seeing his initial attempt kept out by Dons goalie Lee Nicholls.
National League Maidstone, who won 4-2 at Cheltenham Town in the first round proper, went into the break a goal to the good but were pegged back nine minutes into the second period, Aidan Nesbitt striking to level matters.
The League One hosts then flipped the tie on its head, Kieran Agard converting after Ed Upson’s acrobatic effort had been saved in the 70th minute before the Dons forward struck again six minutes later.
Pete Pawlett rounded things off for the home side.
In the day’s early kick-off, Oxford City came within a whisker of earning a replay against League Two Notts County, only to have their hearts broken in the fifth minute of added time by Jorge Grant.
The Magpies midfielder, on-loan from city neighbours Nottingham Forest, dramatically tapped home to earn his team a 3-2 victory after they had been pushed all the way by their National League South opponents.
Richard Duffy’s scrambled finish had given Kevin Nolan’s troops an early lead but eight minutes after the break, Rob Sinclair jinking run and deflected strike levelled matters at 1-1.
County quickly regained the lead as Jon Stead converted from the post after Terry Hawkridge had been upended in the box but back came Oxford, Matt Paterson sending the non-leaguers, who beat Colchester 1-0 in the first round, into dreamland.
But then Grant popped up to win it for the Magpies at the death.
Forest Green Rovers and Exeter City will play it again after a pulsating 3-3 draw at the New Lawn, with both teams scoring in added time through Christian Doidge and Jayden Stockley respectively.
Bradford City beat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 while Carlisle United held Gillingham to a 1-1 draw.
Danny Newton hit a brace as Stevenage sailed into the third round with a thrilling 5-2 victory over fellow League Two side Swindon Town.
Alex Samuel and Matt Godden saw their efforts cancelled out by Swindon’s Amine Linganzi and Matt Taylor, who scored direct from a corner, before Tom Pett capped a manic first period, making it 3-2 to the hosts.
Striker Newton then took up the baton in the second half, scoring twice to seal Stevenage’s progress.
