AFC Portchester and Melksham Town must try again to win their way through to the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup after a drama packed first tie saw the two sides draw 2-2 on Saturday.

The game only came alive in the last quarter in terms of goals and it took a penalty awarded in the 11^th minute of injury time for the home side to send this tie to a replay at The OnSite Group Stadium this Tuesday evening (August 5, kick off 7.45pm).

The first 70 minutes of Saturday’s game was largely battled out in midfield between two evenly matched sides. There were plenty of robust challenges throughout, the majority of which were allowed to go unpunished by the referee, the exception being two incidents in either box which led to two crucial penalties being awarded.

Neither goalkeeper was tested for the majority of the game as control ebbed and flowed between the two sides as they tried to win the midfield battle.

Melksham had the first half chance of the game after just three minutes when Jamal Lawrence’s cross from the left picked out Olly Mehew at the far post but he put his header over.

On 20 minutes Charlie Williamson picked up the ball in midfield and drove forwards before laying it off to Marley Ridge but his shot was always rising over the target.

Three minutes before the interval the visiting defence headed a long throw in clear and it fell to Archie Milne 25 yards out but his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

Melksham created two decent half chances around the hour mark when first a ball inside from the right found Lawrence in the penalty area but after holding off his marker he put his shot well over.

Then a minute later the Royals struggled to clear a ball played into their penalty area and it was worked to Mehew around eight yards out but as he tried to get his shot away keeper Steven Mowthorpe smothered the ball at his feet.

Portchester went close to breaking the deadlock on 68 minutes when a long throw in from the left found Archie Willcox at the near post and keeper Adam Forster had to push away his flicked header which was heading into the top corner of the net.

At the other end Jack Carter hit a curling shot that Mowthorpe watched drift wide of the post before the home side got their noses in front on 77 minutes.

The ball was cleared down the left channel and Lawrence was able to chase it down, hold off a defender and then took the ball past Mowthorpe and rolled his shot into the empty net.

However, Melksham’s lead was short lived as the Royals were level again four minutes later. A deep cross into the box was headed on by Connor Duffin and as Alfie Stanley tried to run in to meet the ball the referee deemed he was pushed over and Ryan Pennery made no mistake with his spot kick.

The cup tie had now come alive and with eight minutes of injury time signalled by the match officials there was still plenty of time for a drama-filled finale to this encounter.

It looked like Portchester were heading through when they scored in the fifth minute of injury time. A quick move down the left saw substitute Zack Willett deliver the perfect cross and Lee Wort got in front of his marker to steer the ball into the net.

The Royals almost put the game to bed after 90+8 minutes when Calvin Davies’ free kick from 20 yards out came back off the crossbar, hit the keeper on the back of the head but the ball bounced away from the goal for a corner.

The final twist in this pulsating ending came when a goalmouth scramble developed after the home side had got the ball into the penalty area and the visitors couldn’t get it clear. 

As the ball worked its way loose from the melee the referee judged that a home player had been brought down and he awarded a penalty. Davies was shown a second yellow card for his protest against the decision and Milne made no mistake with his spot kick, drilling it low into the net.

The full time whistle went moments later and a replay will now be needed to decide who will go on to visit Moneyfields in the Preliminary Round on August 16.