First FA Cup win since 2008 for Worksop men

Tigers’ replay victory was the club’s first in the famous competition since 2008, when they beat Marine.

Two penalties from skipper Leon Mettam and goals from Shane Clarke and Tom Denton earned Worksop a visit to Stalybridge Celtic in the next round.

Although it was comfortable in the end, as Worksop put in a much improved performance from Saturday’s first game, the men from Merseyside started as they finished at Sandy Lane.

Jordan Lemon had to clear the ball out of the goalmouth in the first minute, and Jamie Hay’s follow up shot was mercifully over the bar.

A foul on a rampaging Conor Higginson brought yellow for James King in the 15th minute, and another lunge on Jack Muldoon shortly after earned him a final warning from the referee.

Nice control from Muldoon allowed him to link with Mettam, and the Worksop captain’s long range shot had to be palmed over the bar by Dean Porter.

Porter had to be sharp again two minutes later, beating out a fierce Muldoon drive from 25 yards.

The goal was coming, and it arrived when the determination and pace of Higginson saw him win the ball and streak into the box, where Porter denied him before hauling him down, conceding a penalty.

Mettam was the man to step up and slot it home, into the bottom right hand corner.

Muldoon had a chance to make it two before the half hour mark, but Porter came to Bootle’s rescue once again, saving with his feet.

Phil Roe’s foul on Sean Miller gave Bootle a free-kick almost on the byline, and when it was clipped into the box it eventually fell to Hay whose blast was pushed round the post by Ben Hallam.

With three minutes remaining in the half Lemon’s cross saw Denton challenge Porter, the ball falling nicely for Clarke who sidefooted home his first goal for the club from outside the box.

Three minutes after the break the tie should have been dead and buried, Josh Davies playing Mettam clean through, the striker shooting wide with his left foot with only Porter to beat.

Davies then wasn’t strong enough in the tackle inside his own box, and William Smart robbed him of possession but blasted high and wide.

Worksop had another chance to make it 3-0 as Davies played it to Mettam and his header released Denton, the big striker’s lob bouncing off the bar with Porter beaten.

Another break, on 66 minutes, brought a second penalty as Mettam was fouled in the area - and the striker bagged his brace from the spot to send Tigers into the next round.

Bootle remained game however, and Sean Miller had an effort blocked by namesake Kern, and a corner to the back post was headed wide by Hay.

Shaq McKenzie took the place of goalscorer Mettam, and his first contribution was to smack a shot onto the post from wide on the left.

Matthew Harris sent a volley just over Hallam’s bar, one of several Bootle efforts from long range that failed to trouble the Tigers stopper in the second half.

But it was Worksop who had the final say, Davies’ last minute free-kick finding the head of Denton and the lofty frontman found the back of the net to complete the scoring.

Bootle: Porter, Kilroy, Byrne, McQueen, King, Hay, Peterson (Harris 63), Smart, Riley (O’Connor 63), Corlett (Prince 63), Miller. Not used: Colton, Carberry, Cheetham.

Worksop Town: Hallam 7, Lemon 7, Roe 7 (Pursehouse 79), Davies 6, SALT 8, Miller 7, Muldoon 6, Clarke 7, Denton 7, Mettam 7 (McKenzie 74), Higginson 7 (Wall 59). Not used: Cottingham, Mullen, Gaughan, Flynn.

Ref: Mr J. Wilson.

Goalscorers: Mettam 27 (pen), 67 (pen), Clarke 42, Denton 90.

Yellows: King 15, S. Miller 22; Higginson 55, K. Miller 80, Wall 88.

Attendance: 193.