Success despite a game of almost three 'halves'!

Success to the Plough and Turks Head were both looking to book a meeting against the winners of Littleborough and F C Dale cup tie and in tough but fair opening to the game it was end-to-end stuff, which made for a good game.

Turks Head opened the scoring after 30 minutes courtesy of a long punt up field that caught the Success defence coming out and Andy Eastwood scored from 15 yards out.

This galvanised Success and they were level within a minute; Gary Mason feeding Richard Helm who scored with an excellent drive from 20 yards out.

Half Time: Success to the Plough 1 - 1 Turks Head

In a controversial start to the second half, after Astley had put Success in front, referee Taylor booked three Success players, one for a second time hence reducing them to ten men.

Turks Head almost made their extra man advantage count when a poor header back from Mason caused a goalmouth scramble - Success keeper Garry Watson kept the scores level making two outstanding saves.

It was route one football again that enabled Turks Head to once again level the scores as their forward beat the offside trap. One on one with the Success keeper, Watson saved the first effort but brought down the Turks Head man to concede a penalty - Simon Orchard duly scored from the spot.

Despite their one man disadvantage it was Success who were on the front foot as the game entered its final stages; Eastwood hit the bar and Tolson went close before Matt Jackson scored with a superb header in the 87 minute.

However, Turks Head would not give up and in the fifth minute of added time they levelled the game again after a good move which ended in Andy Eastwood scoring his second of the day with another good finish.

It was odds on to go to extra time and Turks would have really fancied themselves given Success would have been down to nine men having used all three substitutes and one player needing to leave at full time! However, in a game the referee did not seem to want to end, a ninth minute into added time, Danny Holmes met a far post cross and hit a low drive which the Turks keeper somehow kept it out, but the ball came back to him and he thumped it into the roof of the net.

Both sets of players could be forgiven for thinking it must now be time up and game over, however, bizarrely referee Taylor played on for a further tow minutes, eleven added minutes in total, before Success could breath a sigh of relief having booked their place in the semi-final.

Full Time: Success to the Plough 4 - 3 Turks Head