FA Cup Second Qualifying Round Replay:
Ilkeston Town 3 (Wilson 45, Campbell 48, 100)
Anstey Nomads 3 (Omotola 5, Robinson 55, Clarke 94)
After extra-time
By Mark Duffy
Our FA Cup hopes are over after a defeat on penalties to Anstey Nomads on Tuesday night following a pulsating second qualifying round tie.
We went behind early on in both normal time and extra-time, and although we levelled things up we were beaten thanks to Anstey scoring all five of their penalties in the shoot-out.
Anstey would take the lead with the first chance of the game, as a free kick swung into the box by Corey Armeni found Omotolani Omotola at the back post and his header found the corner of the net five minutes in.
Remaye Campbell nearly levelled four minutes later but his effort from a Billy Bennett corner was held by Anstey keeper Conrad Logan, then from another corner Kieran Fenton headed over the top from ten yards out.
Dec Eratt-Thompson then nearly caught Logan out with a cross that landed on the top of the net, Chris O’Grady then placing his shot over the bar after Joe Wilson’s cross fell to him on the penalty spot.
Eratt-Thompson then linked well with Campbell but the former’s shot was stifled by a Nomads defender and Logan gathered, then Wilson ran 40 yards down the right and cut inside but on his weaker left foot shot weakly at Logan.
Nomads were still a threat and Billy Clarke, on as a sub for the injured Omotola, lobbed Deeney on 35 minutes but the ball dropped just wide of the post, then Harry Wakefield blazed wide after being found just inside the penalty area.
Jack Thomas’s low effort was straight at Logan as we continued to search for an equaliser just before the break, and it came in first-half stoppage time.
An Anstey corner was cleared and we countered at pace through Montel Gibson who eventually found Wilson 25 yards out and to the right of the penalty area. The full-back then took a couple of steps forward and rifled a beauty into the top corner to level the scores going into half-time.
We then got ourselves in front just two minutes into the second-half, as Eratt-Thompson’s corner from the left drifted over the leap of Logan and Campbell bundled the ball over the line from a yard or two out.
Gibson shot just wide five minutes later from 25 yards, but it would be from distance that Nomads would get themselves back level on 55 when Freddie Robinson found space 25 yards out and his low shot found the corner of Deeney’s net.
Gibson again tried his luck from outside the box on the hour but this time was inches wide, then headed over the top from an Errat-Thompson cross six minutes later.
Anstey’s Jordan Annable then had the ball in the net from another set piece but was ruled offside, much to the relief of the home support who were similarly pleased to see Harry Wakefield blast high and wide in a threatening position having chased a lost cause on 77.
Armeni then shot too high in a good position as Nomads continued to sniff further blood, Clarke forcing a save low down from Deeney with five minutes to go from a long clearance by Logan.
Logan then pulled off a stunning save on 90 minutes to deny Gibson whose shot was heading for the top corner, and from the corner Campbell hit the post as Anstey struggled to clear, extra-time confirmed as necessary a few minutes later.
It took just three minutes of it for Anstey to get back in front. A corner from the left wasn’t cleared by our defence and Michael Reeve was able to stab the ball in from close range.
The lead lasted six minutes, as from a Wilson cross the ball was bundled in by Campbell from a couple of yards out and it was all square again.
That would be the last real chance of extra-time, neither side able to find a winner and the game going to penalties.
The first eight penalties were all netted, with Troke, Campbell, Wilson and Eratt-Thompson scoring for the Robins, but skipper Fenton blasted his over the top and Armeni stepped up to net the winning kick and send Anstey through.
Ilkeston: Deeney, Wilson, Bennett (Brown-Hill 91), J Thomas (Solanke 85), Willock, Fenton, Eratt-Thompson, Troke, Campbell, Gibson, O’Grady (Wakefield 68)
Not used: Turner, Bukowski
Anstey: Logan, Bayliss, Wolfe, Annable, Gibbens, Robinson, Armeni, Snaith (Blackshaw 62), Reeve, Wakefield (Hollis 68), Omotola (Clarke 30, Richardson 107)
Not used: Storey
Att: 561