Last minute goal puts Bulls through

Action from Hucknall Town (in yellow) against AFC Mansfield on Saturday. Photo by Peter Craggs.

Hucknall were the lowest-ranked team still in the competition and were moments away from extra-time when Allott struck to send the visiting fans into ecstasy.

The game started with AFC taking the game to the home side who found it difficult to get out of their own half.

There were plenty of goalmouth incidents but the home side stood firm as they looked for a way into the game.

That opportunity came through Joe Ashurst on 30 minutes who turned neatly inside the box but fired yards wide when he should have done better.

Jason White had a bit more to do five minutes later, getting behind a rasping drive from Cameron Davidson.

This period of ascendency was short lived when AFC Mansfield went ahead in the 39th minute. A peach of a cross from Ryan Williams was met by the head of Ollie Fearon and the ball planted itself in the bottom corner of the net to open the scoring.

The visitors held their advantage going into the second-half but Hucknall started in a much more determined mood.

AFC broke and Fearon’s effort came back off the post before Williams saw his drive go afoot wide from the edge of the box.

A mix up at the back on 58 minutes brought the hosts level. The ball dropped to the to the feet of Jaylee Hodgson who looked up and, seeing White off his line, hit a 30-yard curling shot that beat the keeper and brought the teams level.

Bulls substitute Lynton Karkach saw his effort go narrowly wide on 80 minutes and at the other end two Hucknall players ended up in the net diving to get on the end of a superb cross from the left by Ashurst. The ball eventually finding Hodgson who tested White with a low drive.

White was again in action this time getting down to his right to deny a header from Davidson, before some serious pressure on the Hucknall goal in the final minutes saw the ball bouncing all over the home box.

The winner came from a corner as Hucknall could not clear their lines and a Allott applying the finishing touch from close range to send AFC Mansfield through.

The Bulls will now host Sunderland RCA in the fourth round.

Hucknall: Randall, Henry, Danso, Leak, Atkinson, Phillips, Crawford (Nelson 68), Banister, Davidson, Hodgson, Ashurst. Subs not used: Aikman, Maxwell, Gatland, Brian

AFC Mansfield: White, Plummer, Dudley, Allott, Timons, D’Laryea, Williams, Patterson, Fearon, Naylor (Karkach 75). Subs not used: Annable, Wilson, Widdowson, Paling.

Ref: Andrew Dallinson

Attendance: 245