STEETON progressed to the last eight of the First Division Cup for the first time with a penalty shootout victory over Holker.
Racing into a three goal lead, it appeared to be a comfortable afternoon at the office for Roy Mason’s side.
The manager admitted his side had “gotten away with one” after the visitors wiped out the deficit and found themselves unlucky to not complete a turnaround in regulation time.
Goalkeeper Brad Emmerson though proved the hero of the hour, making two saves in the shootout to continue the Chevrons cup run.
Steeton came flying out of the traps and thought Adam Terrelonge had broken the deadlock, but he was denied by a save of the highest quality from Harrison Round.
It appeared that Terrelonge’s strike had crossed the line but instead he would turn provider for the afternoon’s opening goal.
Just inside the Holker half, the winger sent the ball inside to Fermin Fernandez.
The Spaniard skipped through a number of challenges to progress thirty yards to just inside the box.
Once there his low strike across the goalkeeper nestled into the bottom corner.
Now in the lead, Steeton continued on the front foot but found themselves frustrated by Round in the Holker goal.
First denying Coe from close range despite the ball being behind him, Round somehow then recovered and made a sensational stop with his feet to deny Andy Briggs after the striker’s initial header came back off the post.
The hosts doubled their lead through a well worked corner routine.
Macca Smith played a short delivery to Arley Barnes, who hit the ball first time through a sea of bodies and inside the far post with Briggs following in.
Just five minutes later it was three.
Under constant pressure, the visitors scrambled a delivery towards the six-yard box away.
Alfie Dowden took possession down the left wing and hit a first time delivery back across the face of goal where Josh Coe got in behind the defender to tap home.
The turning point of the game came thirty seconds before the interval as Holker found a foothold back into the contest.
Steeton failed to deal with a second ball, and this allowed Luke Davey, despite being at a tight angle, to squeeze the ball between the near post and Emmerson to find the back of the net.
The wind now in their sails, the Old Boys dominated the second half and turned the game on its head.
Davey was denied a second by a superb, outstretched diving save from Emmerson but would find his, and his side’s, second moments later with a finish matching the quality of the save.
Playing a one-two on the edge of the box, Davey looked up and produced a curling effort that this time Emmerson couldn’t keep out as the strike dipped over his hand and into the top corner.
With ten minutes left on the clock, a deserved equaliser came for Holker.
Shifting the ball from left to right, Tyler Spence beat the offside trap and after an exquisite first touch to control the ball, placed his strike inside the far post to level up the scoreboard.
The visitors had two chances to avoid penalties and win the game but after a chipped effort rattled the crossbar, Emmerson made a crucial stop with his foot.
With the game to be settled from twelve yards, Emmerson tipped a penalty onto the crossbar before a stop low to his left.
This allowed Kevin Gonzalez to convert the winning spot-kick and set up a date away at Barnton in the Quarter Finals.
STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Dowden; Barnes; Mitchell; Spence (Green); Gonzalez; Fernandez (Mulvihill-Simpson); Coe (Williamson); Briggs; Terrelonge (Longley). Sub (Not Used): Alasttal.
GOALS (Assist): Fernandez 8’ (Terrelonge); Barnes 33’ (M Smith); Coe 38’ (Dowden)
