Whitehawk 1 Stourbridge 1

Dan Scarr's volley early in the second half levelled matters after Glen Southam's thunderous strike had put the home side ahead on 11 minutes. There were chances at either end throughout the game, and both sides will no doubt feel they could have avoided the need for a replay.

Indeed, the Hawks thought they had done just that at the death when Javier Favarel's sweetly-hit shot from 25 yards beat Matt Gould at his near post. However, referee Robert Whitton had already blown for full time, to render the "goal" meaningless. Whitehawk keeper Ross Flitney was then dismissed for his protests as the players left the pitch.

Gary Hackett made two changes to the team that had picked up three points against Corby Town during the week. Striker Luke Benbow returned after his injury scare before that match, as did winger Chris Lait, with Jake Heath and Drew Canavan the unfortunate ones to make way.

The Glassboys started brightly kicking up the substantial slope, with Luke Benbow flashing a low shot across the face of goal, and then Connor Gater striking a low shot that was comfortably held by Flitney.

However, it was the home side who went ahead with just eleven minutes played as Junior Smikle was caught in possession by Southam before the Hawks man took aim and hammered the ball over Gould and in off the underside of the crossbar from 25 yards.

The setback seemed not to affect Stour’s confidence, however, and they continued to more than hold their own against their higher-level opposition. Benbow again went close with 22 minutes played as his shot on the turn from just outside the area flew over the bar, whilst the lively Danny Mills then escaped down the right for Whitehawk before sending in a teasing cross that had just too much pace on it for the onrushing Reece Connolly.

A driving run by Lait drew a foul not far outside the area on the half hour, but Benbow’s shot was again comfortably claimed beneath his crossbar by Flitney, and then on 39 minutes a Tom Tonks free kick from deep was glanced on by Gater for Flitney to take again.

The Hawks were seeing plenty of the ball, and testing out the Glassboys back-line, but clear chances were proving hard to come by and although Gould and his defence had to deal with a number of balls into the box, there were few clear sights of goal. Stour, meanwhile, were creating more in that department but similarly not making Flitney work particularly hard.

The final half-chance before the interval fell to Tonks, whose low shot from 25 yards was blocked, with the ball spinning gently into the hands of Flitney, and the break arrived with the Glassboys very much in the tie.

And it was clear from the start of the second half that the team shared that view, as they set about laying siege to the home goal in the early stages. Darryl Westlake’s ball in from the right found Gater, whose slight touch almost deceived Flitney, with the keeper doing well to y=touch the ball away to safety, and then a Lait corner caused havoc in the six-yard box, with Scarr seeing two efforts blocked before the ball was eventually cleared.

A shot from distance from Gater was not far over on 51 minutes, but sixty seconds later Stour were deservedly level. Lait recycled the ball from the left and with the home defence failing to clear their lines Scarr hit a volley into the ground from just inside the area that bounced up and over the outstretched glove of Flitney before finding the bottom corner to set off wild celebrations among the travelling Glassboys support.

The Hawks looked a little rattled by this turn of events and Stour sought to take further advantage. A long throw from Tonks fell to Lait on the edge of the area but his volley was off target by some margin.

Whitehawk gradually gathered themselves, though, and began to exert pressure at the other end. With 63 minutes gone, Gould failed to claim a corner from the right, and was relieved to claim the ball at the second attempt, before Gater earned a free kick at the other end which resulted in Flitney beating away Benbow’s attempt on goal.

Some casual defending almost presented Stour with a chance on 71 minutes as Dan Harding left the ball for Flitney, who managed to clear with Benbow lurking, before the Glassboys man had another sight of goal with a shot that Flitney tipped over.

From this point, however, the Hawks took control and it appeared that Stour may have been running out of steam. Increasingly they were caught between a desire not to give away possession of the ball and the hurried long ball that was most likely to give Benbow a chance to run at the defence, yet equally likely to concede possession and invite further pressure. For the Hawks, meanwhile, the introduction of the experienced Sergio Torres in midfield brought a control and clam that had been lacking at times up to this point.

Gould produced a superb reaction save from Favarel's drive on 77 minutes, and was then called into action again four minutes later to tip away a corner and then save again from Paul Reid’s flick when the ball was quickly returned into the six-yard box, as Whitehawk turned the screw. These were edgy moments for the Glassboys, with the home side clearly going all out to avoid the need for a replay.

The closing moments saw action at both ends, not to mention controversy. First Mills should have put Hawks ahead right on the 90 minute mark as he met a low cross from the right with a close-range volley that somehow flew over Gould’s crossbar. The pace on the delivery must have made it hard to control, but he will still feel he should have scored.

Within moments at the other end, substitute Matt Dodd played in Benbow who took just a fraction too long and saw his poked attempt smothered by Flitney, and then Gould was again at his best to deny Mills with another fine save.

That may well have been that, until the final drama that saw referee Whitton chalk off Favarel’s strike and see the game end in confusion and uproar.