Five leagues separated the two clubs with Stockport plying their trade in the EFL Division One while the Wanderers came into the game as the last remaining team from the Isthmian League Premier Division. At two-nil up with nine minutes remaining against a team reduced to ten men, it looked like a major shock was on the cards, but it wasn’t to be as the visitors pulled one back, equalised in stoppage time, and then won it with a penalty in the first half of extra time.

Tim O’Shea’s Wands showed that they weren’t content to sit back and hope to catch their opposition on the break when they started quickly. Alex Hernandez was well off target with their first effort. They had been pressing when they went ahead in the twenty-first minute. Ola Ogunwamide did superbly down the right before pulling it back into the penalty area and Sammie McLeod swept it home gleefully from eight yards out.

Ten minutes later John Ufuah, on home debut, chased a long through ball and lifted it over the onrushing goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond who flattened the Wands’ striker. When Ufuah’s lob was cleared off the line by Josh Dacres-Cogley, referee Lewis Sandoe deemed that no advantage had ensued, awarded a free kick on the edge of the area and showed Ashby-Hammond a red card. Goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff came off the substitute’s bench with Che-Daniel Gardner sacrificed.

After waiting for four minutes to take the free kick, Hernandez curled it over the wall and Whatmuff’s first job was to pick the ball out of the net.

Former Welling United loanee had a cross deflected over for the Hatters and when Lewis Fiorini’s corner was headed back out to him, he had his team’s first meaningful effort with a shot that he thrashed over from a wide angle.

Just before half time Ogunwamide created another opportunity when playing it into Ade Yusuff whose first touch was slightly too heavy and when he stretched to get to it before Whatmuff, he prodded it wide.

Early in the second period Yusuff headed over the out rushing Whatmuff but Eoghan O’Connell got back to nod it off the line before Harry Wood had a shot blocked by Wands centre-back Bayli Spencer-Adams. Two Stockport defenders were shown yellow cards in quick succession then Wood caused further problems. He got in behind the Cray back line and goalkeeper JJ Briggs forced him wide enough to prevent him from getting a shot away.

Whatmuff then replicated the actions of his counterpart when Ogunwamide and Ufuah combined to send Yusuff clear but the Stockport goalkeeper eased him away from danger. In the Wands’ next attack Yusuff outmuscled his man and burst through before losing control at the vital moment.

At the other end Briggs made a good low save from Jack Diamond before catching a free kick by Lewis Fiorini. The visitors forced Cray to defend deeper and Diamond shot wide before they pulled one back. Fiorini sent Dacres-Cogley away down the wing and his low cross was put away by Kyle Wootton’s header.

Hopes that the goal would be merely a consolation were ended in the second of four minutes of stoppage time when Diamond crossed high and Mikael Mandron headed home from just outside the six yard box.

That took the match into extra time and the visitors went ahead in the eleventh minute, Stockport went ahead. Briggs came out to punch away a cross but missed the ball and hit Mandron. A penalty was awarded and Fiorini converted from the spot, sending Briggs the wrong way.

Looking for a quick response, Seidou Sanogo had a shot deflected inches wide then in the second period, McLeod shot a yard over after Rob Strachan had knocked a cross down. One last half chance fell Cray’s way when Whatmuff could only push out a cross to Tobi Tinubu but he shot wide of the near post.

When the Wands’ players reflect, they will realise that they pushed a team all the way that may be playing in the EFL Championship next season.