Last updated 12:51, Wednesday, 01 October 2008

Harrogate 0 Workington Reds 0 (Harrogate win 5-4 on pens): Harrogate keeper Jim Provett pulled out the stops as Reds FA Cup dream ended in penalty heartbreak.

Workington Reds v Tamworth; Saturday 9th February 2008: PAUL JOHNSON

After 300 minutes of football between the two teams this season had failed to produce a single goal, Harrogate finally got their noses in front 5-4 on penalties.

Inevitably it was keeper Provett who emerged as Harrogate’s hero for the former Bury man had been largely responsible for his side keeping a clean sheet up to last night’s penalty decider.

His save of the season so far deep in the normal 90 minutes last night ensured the tie went to extra-time and then in the shoot out he produced two good stops to win it.

His brilliant effort to claw out a header from young Phil McLuckie after 84 minutes had kept Harrogate alive – long enough to edge out the battling Cumbrians.

McLuckie had got on the end of an Anthony Wright cross from the left and with the small group of Workington fans halfway to their feet in celebration,

Provett somehow flung himself to the left and in full flight stretched back to scoop the ball away. It was a stop of Gordon Banks’ proportions.

In the actual shoot out to decide the second qualifying round game he was beaten by Craig Johnston, Shaun Vipond, Gareth Arnison and Don Kirkup but crucially got down well to block the second and sixth penalty attempts from Wright and Andy Hardman.

Darren Dunning had hit the bar with the very first Harrogate penalty but then Danny Holland, Nathan Peat, Ryan Toulson, Richard Marshall and James Dean all found the target to book Town a trip to Eastwood on October 11.

Despite the eventual bitter disappointment of losing out on a £4,500 cheque and the chance to earn more at Eastwood, Workington could take a lot of positives out of the game.

This was the third time that Workington had outplayed Harrogate without being able to beat them, but had gone into this one without three key players, the minimum of three substitutes and all the difficulties a mid-week replay entails.

That they responded so well meant that manager Darren Edmondson could tell all his players at the end he was proud of their efforts.

Without Tony Hopper and Graham Anthony in the centre of mid-field Reds were clearly short of experience, guile and strength but Johnston and Vipond responded superbly.

Johnston produced a man of the match effort and Vipond, after a nervous start, emerged a more positive player with his best performance yet in Workington colours.

That was a key area for the replay and this duo did not let Workington down.

I’ve used the boxing analogy before in these encounters and there was no doubt that Workington again won the contest on points – unfortunately it was Harrogate who landed the knock-out blow. Workington forced the pace in the opening 45 minutes when Provett was much the busier keeper, putting himself in the right position to keep out efforts from Arnison, McLuckie and Johnston.

Collin’s only moment of alarm came in the final minute of the half when he didn’t get enough on a punched clearance and had to move smartly to palm behind the follow-up shot from Dunning.

Harrogate had their best spell of the game at the start of the second-half but Workington held firm, defending well as a team and gradually finished the stronger.

Collin, as he had done on Saturday, made a smart save to deny Dean late in extra time while home substitute Nicky Gray almost produced a spectacular own goal with a bullet header from Wright’s corner which flashed inches over the bar.

The tie inevitably went to penalties and once again Workington suffered the heartache of missing out.

STAR MAN – CRAIG JOHNSTON Worked tirelessly in mid-field.

Reds: Collin, Hewson, Rowntree, May, Andrews, McLuckie (Kirkup), Johnston, Vipond, Robinson (Hardman), Arnison, A. Wright. Sub (not used) Edmondson.

Referee: A. Greenwood, York

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