Cup football bites as United Counties clubs juggle competitions

The United Counties League saw two penalty shootouts within days of each other this week. Heanor Town needed spot-kicks to see off Clifton All Whites 5-3 in the FA Vase second qualifying round, Max Thornberry marking his 250th appearance for the club with a headed equaliser before Sacha Markelic's late curler and a Mason Tudgay finish looked to have settled the tie before Joel Stevens struck deep into stoppage time to level for Clifton. Josh Bowley held his nerve to send Heanor through. Hucknall Town suffered the same fate, losing 5-4 on penalties to Clifton All Whites in the Notts Senior Cup after a 1-1 draw, with joint-managers Jonathan D'Laryea and Rudy Funk turning attention back to league business against Ashby Ivanhoe. Belper United also progressed via penalties, beating Dunkirk 4-2 after a 2-2 draw in the league cup.

Heanor's cup exploits came off the back of league form that has taken them into the play-off places, and their momentum told again days later when they beat Hinckley AFC 3-2, coming from behind twice through John King, Markelic and Jamie Sleigh after Prince Ogbe and Luke Jones had put the hosts ahead. Hinckley manager Chris Tullin called it a performance summing up his side's season, dominant for long spells but punished by soft goals, leaving work to do before the next fixture at Clay Cross Town.

At the top of the table, Knowle continued to set the pace with a 5-0 win over Eynesbury Rovers, George Seeley completing a hat-trick as the Robins made it eight wins from eight games, 27 goals scored and a sixth league clean sheet. Rugby Town kept pace with a fifth successive win, 4-2 at Northampton Sileby Rangers thanks to Charlie Tilley's quick-fire second-half double, though they confirmed winger Louis Samuels has left the club after two goals in ten appearances.

Deeping Rangers recorded their first league win of the season, thrashing Gresley Rovers 4-0, while Hucknall Town moved for attacking reinforcement, signing prolific forward David Kolodynski, once Rugby Town's all-time record scorer with 283 goals in 544 appearances. Skegness Town shared a tight 1-1 draw with Leicester Nirvana, Lucas Dakin's clever backheeled finish cancelling out Tamar Clayton-Naute's opener, ahead of a UCL Cup tie at West Bridgford Colts.