North Ferriby 0 Stalybridge 0: United suffer penalty shootout heartache

Stalybridge Celtic’s penalty shootout victory against Billy Heath’s side meant the Villagers will have to continue their wait to enter the FA Cup first round for the first time in their history.

For Celtic, Doncaster Rovers await. In the end, Russell Fry was the villain, his penalty over the bar. Sudden death is a cruel mistress, inconsiderate of the majority of the 710 fans in the stadium.

Danny Emerton had crafted the first opportunity of the game after less than a minute, bursting down the right and crossing for Adam Bolder, whose effort on the turn was cleared.

Ferriby had Adam Nicklin to thank for keeping the scores level at the break, the goalkeeper diving low to his left and collecting the ball after Chris Simm span and fired towards the corner.

The second-half began at pace, Simm springing the Villagers’ offside trap. Nicklin missed the ball after trying to stop the charge, and when Chris Simm fed Bohan Dixon with the net gaping, there seemed to be only one conclusion. What is it they say about assuming? Dixon hit it wide.

A minute later, Emerton had a tame effort stopped by Anthony McMillan, and when McMillan was forced to save from a Chris Bateson effort, it became clear a tame first-half had developed into an exciting second.

That is not to say Celtic did not have further chances of their own, the best created and missed by Ben McKenna, who charged at a retreating United defence before firing a strike wide of the net.

After the sides could not be separated in 90 minutes, extra-time saw the best chance falling to Tom Denton, whose volley was deflected over.

It meant a shootout was required.

In the end, it came down to Fry‘s miss and Celtic’s calm penalties, sending their fans into dreamland.

North Ferriby United: Nicklin; Middleton (Topliss, 92), Gray, Palmer, Wilde; Emerton, Fry, King, Bolder (Denton, 45), Bateson; Clarke (Kendall, 120). Unused substitutes: Nicholson, Bruce, Armstrong

Stalybridge Celtic: McMillan; Wylie, Higgins, Hughes, Crowley; Dixon, Wisdom (Wright, 80), Chalmers, Farrell; Simm (McKenna, 63), Johnson (Chippendale, 80). Unused substitutes: Hill, Mudimu, Tames, Osei.

Referee: M Edwards (Gateshead).