KULWINDER Sandhu’s Albion Sports fell at the first hurdle in this season’s FA Cup but that fact doesn’t even begin to tell the story of two epic battles with Northern League outfit Ashington.

The talk before the initial meeting in the north east last Saturday was mainly about the Collieries’ being managed by former Ashes winner Steve Harmison, and it was one of his younger brothers – centre back James – who scored the first goal of the tie.

Over the two games – the replay was last Tuesday at Throstle Nest – the tie produced nine goals, two of which were very late.

The Colliers grabbed an equaliser deep into stoppage time in the 2-2 draw last weekend and sneaked a last-gasp winner in midweek.

Albion spokesman Pete Cusack said: “It’s a case of where do you start really because the ties had everything.

“We felt we were unfortunate up there last Saturday,despite Ashington being the better side in the first half.

"Albion were on top for the second half and there were a lot of controversial incidents, even before their goal four minutes into stoppage time.”

Marcus Edwards, in the first half, and James Firth, after the break, had goals disallowed, Edwards had a strong penalty appeal waved away and Alex Cusack rattled the bar with a free-kick.

Albion’s press officer added: “The replay was just as much in the balance. Dylan Williams, who had scored their late, late equaliser on Saturday, put them in front but Marcus equalised with a tap-in.

“They retook the lead but Aaron Basi levelled it up again five minutes from time and we were all thinking about extra time – both sides. Then they hit an outstanding winner.

“It was their captain Andrew Johnson who curled it in and it came from nothing but, to be fair, it was a super strike.”