Cheadle Town 3-1 Abbey Hulton United

Given our home form this season the quip of late has been "can we play away from home every week". There should now be the addendum "if we have to play at home, can we play Abbey Hulton?"

Only two wins at home all season and both against Abbey Hulton; they'll be sick of the sight of Park Road and will be mighty glad they won't have to visit again this season.

Four goals, yes, but not a classic as it was all a bit stop-start at times. Both sides engaging in a dolly mixture of very good and downright frustrating passages of play, resulting in what could be best described as a "functional" win for us.

If you had some of your hard-earned money on us scoring in the first and last 25 seconds of the first half then enjoy your winnings. What would have been the odds on that!?

Mssrs Chris Sherrington and Adam Gardiner were the ones that bookended the first half. The former bundling home after 25 seconds following a right-wing cross from Jake Ambrose and the latter with a wonderful header from a James Dunn cross just as the referee was about to blow for half-time.

In between lay a half where we arguably should have built up a more commanding lead.

Adam Gardiner almost made it 2-0 on the 11th minute when he was put through on the right but his clipped shot over the keeper was cleared off the line at the last.

Five minutes later Tom Russell sent Tom Ratican clear down the left but he shot straight at the keeper.

Abbey Hulton had caught us napping from a corner on 20 minutes from which Danny Whiting had to make a clever palm over the crossbar with the visitors then levelling a minute later; we lost possession in midfield and the ball was worked down the right and in-field, ending up at the feet of Dylan Bath who rifled home.

Straight down the other end Jake Ambrose almost uprooted the post when he got onto the end of a Chris Sherrington cross with Daniel Whiting to our rescue again, palming away a close-range effort.

A minute into the second half and Adam Gardiner had a great chance to make it 3-1, being put through the middle and managing to poke it past the keeper but being thwarted by an Abbey Hulton defender.

On the hour, he would get a better chance as we were awarded a penalty. He took it, stroking the spot kick home to give us a bit of breathing space.

Daniel Whiting was called into action again on the 75th minute, pushing a well-struck free-kick around the post before jake Ambrose was gifted a chance to put the tie out of sight, latching onto a poor kick-out from the keeper but only giving it him back with a poor shot.

Rick Whyatt then somehow managing to block a James Dunn shot off the line was the pinnacle of the frustrating moments of the match, but by then we were 3-1 up and any threat that Abbey Hulton was presenting seemed to have long gone.

So, down to the last eight we go and a trip to Eccleshall or Sandbach United awaits in the new year. 

TEAM: Whiting, Ratican, Dunn, Trucca, Shaw, Harrison, Ambrose, Russell (Delaney), Gardiner (Cotton), Whyatt, C Sherrington (Clarey). SUBS: Wood, Clarey, Delaney, Cotton, Piggott (gk)