Penistone Church 1-3 Cheadle Town
Did you know that this year's FA Cup competition was only 36 seconds old before it saw its first goal?
36 seconds. That's fairly impressive and is a proverbial medal to hang around the neck for the team that managed it.
The nation's cap is doffed to thee, Penistone Church FC. Capitalising on some nervy, nee calamitous defending by our back line, Church's Danny Joynes seized the ball on the right of the penalty area and lashed home past the despairing dive of Ben Jupp.
Not the best of starts, and matters didn't get any better as we were, simply put, a bag of nerves for the opening 20 minutes as passes went astray, the ball wouldn't stick and our pinpoint passing game and sharpness that had served us so well in pre-season had gone AWOL.
Our restlessness was still there for all to see on 21 minutes as Penistone should arguably have gone 2-0 up as we failed to deal with the ball in the area; various attempted - and failed - clearances finally, and thankfully, being lashed just over the bar.
But that moment proved to be something of a turning point. We started to find our passing range, enjoyed much more possession and started to pin Penistone into their own half.
And on 34 minutes it paid off. Matt German' s influence on the game was starting to show and it was he who, with a deft turn, set up Mike Sherrington on the right to lob the onrushing keeper and level matters.
Three minutes before half time saw another chance for us, with Luke Hincks drifting the ball in from the left for Sam Noar to head only for him to slightly lose his bearings and head well wide.
The half-time break didn't disrupt the momentum we had gathered.
Just eight minutes after the restart we took the lead for the first time in the tie when a Luke Hincks cross from the left was slammed home from close range by James Dunn.
James almost got his second just four minutes later, meeting a Liam Tongue cross from the right with his head to force the keeper to beat away at the near post.
The slenderness of a 2-1 lead was almost demonstrated on 70 minutes when James Dunn headed a cross from the right into danger with the resulting effort brushing the foot of the post.
But after that it was all Cheadle, with a hatful of chances coming in the final ten minutes of the game to put the game to bed.
On 80 minutes Matt German put Mike Sherrington clean through for him to screw a shot wide of the upright with the deciding goal coming just a minute later.
A moment of hesitancy by the Penistone defence was seized upon by Sam Noar as he rounded the keeper and then kept the coolest of heads to wait for assistance; Luke Hincks was the first on the scene and it was he who blasted home off the underside of the bar to give us a much-needed cushion.
Four minutes later Luke fed Sam Noar on the right with his square pass met by Liam Tongue and fingertipped past the post by the keeper.
One minute later and Matt German threaded in another delicious pass, this time for Liam Tongue who was, with the Penistone keeper haring down on him, forced to attempt the lob that ended up being just over the bar.
A win that takes us to Wincham Park in two weeks' time and an away tie in the Preliminary Round versus Northern Premier League 1 outfit Northwich Victoria. A first win in the FA Cup for us since August 2011 in that madcap 8-2 win at Chadderton; we had almost forgotten what wining in this competition had felt like.
Our thanks to Penistone Church FC for their hospitality which, as we have found out so many times now at clubs in the Northern Counties East League, was gracious and top-notch. We wish them all the best for the coming season.
Next up for us is the start of the league campaign as Litherland REMYCA visit Park Road on Wednesday evening.
TEAM: Jupp, McLaughlin, Magida, Russell, Moore, Dunn, Hincks, Tongue, Noar, M Sherrington, German. SUBS: Piggott (gk), Connolly, Whyatt, Tosum, Horan.
