Alport 1 Northwich Victoria 1 (Vics won 5-4 on pens)
 
Alport exited the Macron Challenge Cup in the cruellest of fashion after a dramatic finale at a windswept Yockings Park on Monday night. The Reds had led since the 41st minute through a Joe Howell strike, but in the third minute of added on time Adam Lawrence got just about enough purchase on the ball to head home from close range. That took the game to penalties and after four successful conversions, Luke Walley had the chance to earn Whitchurch a trip to Hanley Town in Round Two, after Cam Phelps had made a brilliant save to deny Sam Marshall. That took the tie to sudden death and Ryan Thomas blazed wildly over when he needed to score to level matters with Jake Pollard having netted for Vics.
 
In truth, the game was little more than a farce with fierce winds blowing through Yockings from start to finish. It led to some comical moments – most notably when Vics’ Danny Johnson sprinted down the left and delivered a telling cross into the penalty area. But the ball took a ride on the wind and went out for an Alport thrown on the far side halfway line!
 
The home side – although hardly dominant - had the best of the chances. Jimmy Garlick forced a fine save out of Mike Donlon in the seventh minute, but by then Phelps had already made a decent stop to palm away a header from what looked like one of his own teammates at an early Vics corner.
 
Alport went ahead with four minutes of the first half remaining when Howell pulled the trigger with a low left foot drive that found Donlon’s bottom left corner. It was a deserved lead and one they looked like adding to in the second half. Defensively, they stood tall to a man with striker Ben Mills deployed as an extra defender and the Reds ran themselves into the ground to try and preserve their slender lead. Donlon made a fine save to keep out Howell’s 25 yarder with 15 minutes to go and with the home fans desperate to hear the referee’s whistle, the hosts switched off for a vital second and were punished when Lawrence pounced right at the end to take the tie to penalties.
 
With both teams despatching their first three spot kicks, Phelps went full length to push out Marshall’s effort. Louis James then scored for the Reds to make it 4-3 but Fitton levelled it with a pressure kick. Walley’s match winning attempt was saved and that was Alport’s last chance gone. Proof that you don’t always get what you deserve.
 
Pens (Vics first):  Durnin (goal), McNichol (goal), Gorman (goal), Twigg (goal), Matthews (goal), Mills (goal), Marshall (saved), James (goal), Fitton (goal), Walley (saved), Pollard (goal), Thomas (miss).