Vauxhall Motors 2 v 2 Hyde United 

(Hyde win 3-1 on penalties)

Mick McGraa’s battlers twice came from behind to holt the progress of Evo-Stik club Hyde United in their Cheshire Senior Cup tie, but ultimately fell at the very last hurdle, by going down 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the tie ended at 2-2.

 The in-form visitors showed their mettle early on with a couple of decent efforts on goal before taking a deserved lead on 25 minutes, when Ashley Young curled a superb free kick from 25 yards out over the wall and into the top corner. But the Motormen hit back just before the break, when a defensive slip enabled Karl Noon to race through and he picked his spot beyond the stranded Lloyd Allison in the Hyde goal to level up the scores.  Even then, United almost regained the lead just seconds later.

The second half began well for Motors but then a calamitous own goal undid all their good work on 56 min7utes, when a fairly harmless cross was sliced by home defender Matty Carlin and through the grasp of home keeper Ryan Crump into the back of the net.

But Vauxhall never gave us the chase and on 76 minutes drew level once more, when a smart move across the area from left to right, saw Danny Cross feed substitute Michael Burkey and he cut inside before unleashing a fine left footed drive into the far corner of the goal.

Crump distinguished himself with a couple of smart saves during the game, one late on as Hyde sought as winner, but the final whistle arrived to signal a penalty shoot out.  Going first Hyde made hay by scoring their first three spot kicks, while only Noon was successful from Vauxhall’s first take and when Greg Drummond hoisted his penalty over the bar, just as Ryan Cox had done a few moments earlier, Hyde were through to the semi-finals, despite the excellent efforts of the Motors side.

Vauxhall: Crump, Mason, Drummond, Carlin (Gardner 66), Mitchell, Rule, Cross, Cooper, Noon, Cox,  Holmes (Burkey 57), Subs not used: Kelly, Jeffrey, Waring.