​Greens to go again in FA Cup after draw

​The Greens displayed impressive concentration and desire for much of the contest against their higher-ranked opponents and showed excellent character to return fire after falling 1-0 behind to Jack O’Connor’s powerful header just short of the hour.

That response made Joe Smith’s leveller seven minutes from time all the more deserved and with frustrations boiling over for the hosts in stoppage time, the Greens will now look forward to the replay on Wednesday evening in which they’ll certainly expect to give their opponents another stern examination.

Both sides had created chances before the hosts finally found the breakthrough their play had deserved, a Joe Curtis set piece finding captain O’Connor on hand to power home a free header.

But the leveller came through Smith diverting Ryan Flitton’s corner goalward, which, despite being hooked off the line, was adjudged to have crossed the line by the officials.

There was still time for frustrations to boil over for the hosts too when Neo Richard-Noel received his marching orders for an ill-timed lunge from behind on Jake Henderson in stoppage time, but there would be no late winner.

Player-boss Tom Ward said: “It hurt when we were 1-0 down because I thought we’d played some really good stuff at times.

"Wellingborough deserve credit and are obviously a step four side for a reason but I thought we were tremendous and their keeper’s made two or three fantastic saves and it’s unbelievable how we’ve not come away with a win."

Following the FA Cup replay, which in turn meant the league trip to Deeping Rangers on Tuesday was postponed, Sleaford head to Eastwood CFC on Saturday to face a side that scored 13 goals in their first two league games but drew at Coleshill in the FA Cup on Saturday.