SCORING goals is his religion and Ollie Pope may never net a more important one than Saturday’s historic matchwinner.
The striker’s goal in the seventh minute of added time against Prestwich Heys put Winsford United into the last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time ever.
Barton Stadium went bananas because Blues had looked dead and buried in the rearranged tie a few minutes earlier.
But in the most dramatic of climaxes, one of five second-half substitutes Niza Chilufrya rose like a seasonal salmon to head home a Sam Elliott corner in the fifth minute of time added on.
Blues fans were still catching their breath when Pope ran through and clinically finished from 18 yards to set up a fourth-round visit to South Liverpool.
Winsford, who had bowed out in the third round in the previous two years, had been behind since the eighth minute when Takura Sambizi blasted home from close range after the ball had bounced around in the area.
Chances came and went for both sides, Steve Jenyons and Pope both putting headers off the target for Blues midway through the first half.
Pope chanced a shot from a throw by Kal Boyle, who slotted an effort narrowly wide as the second stanza progressed.
But it all set up the barnstorming finish and one of Winsford’s greatest knockout wins in memory.
Meanwhile, Northwich Victoria took a firm grip of the Midland League Premier Division thanks to their 3-0 home win against bottom side Highgate United.
Strikes from Kieron Hamm (28mins), Jefferson Abreu (43mins) and Ryan Atkinson (72mins) ensured Vics moved four points clear at the summit with two games in hand of nearest rivals Abbey Hulton United, whose game was postponed.
Also in that league, 1874 Northwich moved back into the play-offs places with a 2-1 win at lowly Studley.
Teenage centre forward Dennis Mulville, who came off the bench the previous week to score his first goal for the club in a big win against Highgate, delivered again as 77th-minute substitute.
The 17-year-old walloped home the winner from 10 yards in the 84th minute.
Chris Herbert’s men had taken the lead in the eighth minute thanks to a stunning 25-yard curling effort from Liam Fitzpatrick but Ethan Evans equalised for the hosts in the 81st minute.
Witton Albion, meanwhile, had a day to forget in Northern Premier League West.
After taking a fifth-minute lead through Joe Edwards, they conceded four times in the next 23 minutes at home to Kidsgrove Athletic.
Neither side scored again but the visitors did not need to as their goals from Isaac Phillips (2mins), Shaquille Master (9mins), Henry Brereton (25mins) and skipper Shaun Rhodes (28mins) sealed their 4-1 success.
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