In a remarkable conclusion, Workington Reds scored three times in four minutes to beat Whitehaven Amateurs 5-4 in the first round of the County Cup.
Ruben Jerome scored a penalty with the last kick of the game in time added on after he had scored in the 118th and 120th minutes.
Reds had used the tie to give minutes to several players returning from injury but at the end they only had three on the field alongside the club’s Development squad.
It was one of them, Jerome, who proved to be the match-winner with four goals in total, including a stunning 45 yarder which had given Reds the lead at 2-1.
Spare a thought for Whitehaven, though, who had proved the better side for much of extra time and with a 4-2 lead deep into the contest looked certain winners.
They had gone ahead on 37 minutes with a cross-come-shot from Owen Woodburn which looped over Danny Eccles into the top corner.
However, they needed a 90th minute penalty from substitute Ben Powell to take the game into extra time.
That was when they looked the stronger side and goals from Woodburn, and a beauty from Powell, seemed to have booked their place in round two – until Jerome pulled-off the seemingly impossible for the Reds.
Rowan Roache, one of four first team players who started on the come-back trail, had scored a superb equaliser for the Reds just before half-time and then along with Brad Carroll did not re-appear for the second-half.
But the delight of earning such a dramatic win was off-set for manager Chris Willcock by losing another of his returning senior players. Dav Symington lasted only 27 minutes before limping-off with a recurrence of his leg problem.
Nico Evangelinos, who has been out for over six weeks, played the second-half and all of extra time.
