MELTHAM beat Heywoods Irish 6-5 on penalties to book a District League Challenge Cup semi-final spot against Bay Athletic, after the two sides finished level on 1-1 after extra time.

The first half was scrappy with neither side creating many chances, the second half was little better as full time ended scoreless.

In extra time both sides had half chances but never looked like scoring until with four minutes remaining the Heywoods striker managed to get the ball into the net to spark massive celebrations.

With a minute left, a Meltham corner was cleared, but Hutson headed it back towards goal and after a massive scramble the ball somehow found the net.

The referee awarded the goal and then promptly blew for time. As the tie had to be completed, the match went to penalties and after the first five it was 3-3 which then became sudden death.

Meltham’s first three were scored, but unfortunately for Heywoods they missed the third extra penalty and Meltham were through.

The Gee Cup quarter-final between Lindley and Skelmanthorpe Reserves also went to penalties after finishing 3-3 at full time – Lindley finally going through 4-1.

It was 40 minutes before Skelmanthorpe broke the deadlock, before Sean Woodhouse calmly slotted past the keeper for the equaliser.

In the second half Craig Taylor bamboozled the Skelmanthorpe defence with a quick dummy and turn and fired past the keeper, and Lindley quickly made it 3-1 when a quick break allowed Taylor to find Phil Smith on the back post to fire in from an acute angle.

Lindley should have put the game to bed when a break down the left saw Dan Gray pulled down but the ref played a good advantage allowing Woodhouse to slide in Smith but his tame finish was straight at the keeper.

With five minutes left a throw-in led to Skelmanthorpe hitting the post and quickly tapping in the rebound, and then in the 90th minute a flick on from a long ball found an unmarked striker at the back post who flicked in to equalise.

Neither team committed too much in extra time, and so it went to penalties, Lindley scoring the first three, while Skelmanthorpe's 2nd and 3rd were saved by Sam Done.