Winsford United manager Eddy Haslam paid tribute to goalkeeper Nathan Beckett after a string of top saves denied Garforth Town in the visitors’ dramatic extra-time victory.
Second choice stopper Nathan Beckett was given a chance to impress in the end-to end FA Vase First Round encounter at Wheatley Park.
After a few poor results, the North West Counties League Premier Division strugglers boss Haslam chose to drop Andy Jones and field Beckett. The goalkeeper kept Winsford alive during the second half after debutant Sam Akeroyd had scored for Garforth.
Harry Noon equalised for Winsford with three minutes left before substitute James Rothwell won the tie for Winsford deep into the second half of extra-time.
Haslam praised Beckett, but also said he believed his team were worthy winners.
“He was tremendous today wasn’t he,” he told Sports Performer.
“Certainly in the first half he made two tremendous saves, but in the second period of extra time he came up with an absolutely superb save.
“There was a lot of talk of people not wanting him to play today and wanting the other keeper to play, but he was certainly first choice today and he was superb.
“In recent weeks with the form we felt we needed to have a change so we gave Nathan a go and he has risen to the occasion today.”
He added: “I thought (the equaliser) it was a matter of time if we carried on building our game, which we did.
“Even though Garforth scored I still felt we were in the game. It take a late goal, but if we kept pressing and playing the same way it was going to come and it did.
“In the extra time we were by far the better side. It could have been a high-scoring game
“We had chances in the first half and in the second half, but they’re the home side and you have to expect Garforth to come at us.
“We coped with it really well and overall I think we deserved the game.”
The first half was a pretty drab affair with Garforth’s American attacking midfielder Logan McDaniel wasting the Miners’ best chance after breaking through on goal – Beckett the saviour for Winsford with a smart save.
Midfielder David Gbemie went the closest for Winsford with a long range attempt.
Garforth broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half. Akeroyd, who came on as first half substitute for Josh Greenhalgh, held off two Winsford defenders before firing the ball into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Garforth then had further opportunities to kill the game off. Beckett denied Josh Cartman from point blank range after the striker latched onto Tawanda Rupere’s superb cross on the hour.
Beckett then created more headlines for himself by somehow tipping McDaniel’s powerful header, which destined for the top corner, away from danger.
The game reached its closing stages and Winsford were gaining momentum and a couple of half chances, Haslam’s young side got their equaliser. Garforth allowed Noon time and space to take the ball down and control before the striker fired the ball into the bottom corner from eight yards.
The game sailed into extra-time and Winsford were in control. Garforth seemed to have run out of steam and the away side were causing all the problems. Noon thought he had scored again within a minute of the start of the extra 30 minutes with a low drive that flashed just wide.
Winsford had to wait until the last five minutes of extra-time. Garforth had survived a couple of scares, but the home side only have themselves blame after failing to clear the ball during a scramble. Rothwell was the hero after slamming home at the fourth attempt inside the six-yard box.
Garforth still had to respond and nearly did. Inside a mad final two minutes, Beckett brilliantly batted away Cartman’s powerful shot which Winsford initially managed to clear. The ball came back and Cartman was unlucky with another attempt as the ball cannoned back off the crossbar.
Rupere then fired the follow-up shot just over the bar and that was Garforth’s last chance and Winsford boss Haslam hopes his side can kick-on in the league, starting at Bootle on Tuesday night.
“It means a tremendous amount because we’re on a pretty bad run in the league and this is just a bonus to get into the next round of the Vase,” he said.
“By winning in cup matches you can build on it and start winning in the league and hopefully we’ll do that on Tuesday night.”
Garforth Town: Martens, Stohrer (Woodger 55), Misambu, Allen (captain), Hawksworth, Hilton (Helliwell HT), Rupere, McDaniel, Cartman, Bower, Greenhalgh (Ackroyd 32). Subs unused: Smith, Oyebanji.
Winsford United: Beckett, M Jones, Lane, Gbemie (McNamara 109), J Jones, Constantine, Banda, Wareing (Rothwell 83), Hirst, Noon, Liddle (Westwood 68). Sub unused: Bush.
Referee: P Sporne (Sheffield)
Attendance: 113
Man of the match: Nathan Beckett (Winsford United)