Whitchurch Alport make history with first ever FA Vase win

Both teams squandered two-goal leads in normal time before Alport’s Stevie McNichol was shown a straight red card in extra-time. Whitchurch held on to the 4-4 draw but then missed the first two spot-kicks of the shoot-out.

However, goalkeeper Danny Read saved three in total to give Luke Goddard’s team their first ever victory in the Vase.

“When we missed the first two penalties I thought it wasn’t our day,” admitted Goddard. “Credit to Dan saving three penalties.

"I said on the sidelines ‘he’ll make two’, but he made three. He told me he feels like an old man after 120 minutes and penalties but he’s ended up winning us the game.

"That’s our first FA Vase win, I’m very proud of that. It means a lot to this club financially so let’s go and enjoy the next round."

Pershore, of Midland League Division One, raced into a two-nil lead thanks to a Danny Priest brace but a header from Dean Twigg and a goal from Luke Walley levelled things up before half-time.

Alport added two more straight after half-time through Nick Marley and Twigg’s second to turn the game on its head and lead 4-2.

But the visitors came roaring back to 4-4 with goals from Mitchel Butterworth and Callum Devlin.

Goddard admitted he’d never been involved in such a topsy-turvy game, but was delighted to take his Hallmark Security League side into the second qualifying round of the Vase for the first time in their 70-year history.

“I thought first 15 or 20 minutes we were absolutely dreadful and then for the next 30 or 40 minutes we were outstanding,” he said. “They couldn’t deal with us, we deservedly went 4-2 up and the game’s won.

“Then it’s about managing it and we simply didn’t do it. Some of the forward players have been outstanding but we let them down defensively.

"We simply weren’t good enough. But we’re undefeated eight games so I’m happy from that point of view.”

Goddard had no qualms about the sending off in extra time, and warned McNichol that he would struggle to get back into the side following his three-game ban.

"I think it’s a sending off, it’s a 50/50 ball but Steve’s got a habit of that,” admitted the manager. “He got sent off twice last year.

"I’m not going to sit here and defend it, it’s reckless, there was no need to make it, even though the games level at that point we were fairly in control.

“Steve’s been superb this season but that puts him out for three games and he’ll sit on the sidelines when he comes back in.”

Alport now play Midland League Premier outfit Highgate United in the next round after their 7-0 win over Ellesmere Rangers.

"We’ll be underdogs," said Goddard. “If we play like that defensively we’ll get a good old hiding so we’ll tighten things up."

But second-place Whitchurch have a crucial game in the league against Litherland Remyca first up this weekend.

“They’re the team every-one’s got to beat," said the manager. "They finished third last year, and lost in the play-off final. If we finish above Litherland, I’m pretty sure we’ll get promoted. I’d take a point at this stage.”