The Stan face the prospect of a home tie with former Football League giants Bury in the Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round – but an 88th minute Garforth equaliser in their Preliminary Round tie in West Yorkshire denied immediate progression.

After a bruising 3-0 defeat at Pontefract earlier that week, manager Dean Nicholson will have been hoping to see a response from his players. Both sides kept it tidy for the first ten minutes and signs were much more positive that this would be a more even contest.

The first big opportunity came for the Stan on 11 minutes, when Daniel Sayer – having played a beautiful one-two with Leighton Hopper on the left – was able to drive a mid-height cross into the area for Louis Anderson, who ran to the near post to meet the ball, but his flicked effort to the back post went agonisingly over the bar.

Moments later, the Stan were handed another chance to cause chaos in the Garforth box. This time, a floated Dan Stephenson free kick to the far side of the area was flicked into the six yard box by Joe Shepherd, but the home team’s defence got in front of Anderson to stop him having a shot.

Garforth’s first opening followed shortly after, as a searching ball from the halfway line wasn’t deal with by Kailem Beattie on the edge of the Stan’s penalty area, which allowed them a chance to shoot, but the effort was slightly too high, and would’ve been palmed away by goalkeeper Lewis Brass if it was lower.

The ball was in the net for the Stan midway through the first half. Hopper and Sayer combined again, this time Hopper pinging the ball from the right side to Sayer on the left, who used the momentum of the ball to loop it into the area for Konner Lamb who – much like Anderson for our first chance – flicked over his head to the back post, finding the net on this occasion, but denied by the assistant referee’s flag.

But a breakthrough came ten minutes later. Sayer was once again instrumental, played in behind down the left by Richie Slaughter, then had his shot pushed to the other side of the box by the Garforth keeper. Lamb leapt to strike the rebound towards goal, but was denied by another big save – except this time it was by defender Harry Viggars, who therefore conceded a penalty and could’ve had no complaints about the red card he was issued. No problem for Hopper who calmly tucked away his second penalty of the season and third goal overall.

With their man advantage, the Stan looked to make their lead more comfortable heading into the break, but Lamb’s right-sided effort from the edge of the area flashed wide of the far post. That attacking pressure continued in the second half as a panicked goalkeeper – under the duress of Lamb – played the ball straight to Anderson on the edge of the area with the goal gaping, but the Stan no.9’s decision to shift the ball between his feet took the sting out of the gift he’d been given and it went wide.

Garforth may have been a man down, but they never considered themselves down and out as they pushed for a route back into the game. A first time cross into the area on 70 minutes may not have found someone to poke it towards goal, but it was an indication of the kind of pressure the Stan defence would face in the closing stages.

Victory should’ve been secured for the Stan a couple of minutes later. A dominant spell on the ball in the final third – which started with the Garforth keeper giving possession away cheaply yet again – eventually found Dan Stephenson in acres of space on the edge of the area. A towering defensive header fell nicely onto his favoured left foot, but seconds later he fell to the floor in disbelief as he watched his low curling shot hit the base of the post.

With six minutes of normal time to go, Garforth would also crack the woodwork. A neat ball in behind from midfield to their left winger allowed him to run onto goal, carve between two Stan defenders, but his cushioned finish towards the near top corner smashed against the frame.

The home side had turned the tide and were determined to stay in the hat for Monday’s 1st Qualifying Round draw. No.8 and no.16 combined once again, and even with four Stan defenders in front of him, Muhammed Fadera found a gap to shoot low and snuck it under Brass to equalise.

Having rode their luck to stay in the game on numerous occasions, it was almost the ten men of Garforth who booked their place in the next round in the closing seconds. They moved the ball around well in a packed penalty area before finally getting a shot away. Brass had to keep his concentration to get down low and hold onto an effort that could’ve easily crept in.

The way the win fell away from the Stan at the end will have frustrated Dean and his players, but there was much to be encouraged about from the way they played. Although not a league game, this was the first game the Stan have faced this season against a side from the Northern Premier League East Division in which they avoided defeat.

If the Stan can be more clinical in Wednesday’s replay at Grounsell Park, they’ll face Bury – who were in League One until they were expelled in 2019 – on the weekend of August 31st.

Lewis Brass; Liam Doyle, Kailem Beattie, Alfie Marriott, Joe Shepherd, Daniel Sayer (Jay Hornsby 75); Richie Slaughter, Dan Stephenson; Konner Lamb (Marc Ellison 83), Louis Anderson (Jordan Lashley 74), Leighton Hopper

Subs not used: Callum Corkhill, Andy Burn, Matt Foster, James Harper

Liam Milburn

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