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Runcorn Town will have to do it all over again in the FA Vase next Saturday after being held to a goalless draw over 120 minutes at Northern League Billingham Synthonia.
 
Team news saw Emini Adegbenro make his first start for Town in three months replacing Paul Shanley who was cup tied. The other change saw Jason Carey preferred up front with James McShane starting on the bench.
 
It was Billingham who had the better of the opening period, with Rob Bettson allowed acres of space on the right hand side before crossing to Richard Storr who headed straight at Karl Wills. Town's keeper also pulled off a good save from Matt Crossen's long range effort, whilst shots from Danny Earl and Chay Liddle were both blocked in the box.
 
Town worked their way into the game with Danny Dalton heading Warren Bellew's corner from the right just wide, before Town had a goal controversially disallowed after 16 minutes. Bellew's free kick was headed goalwards by Danny Dalton, with Josh Moody in the Billingham goal punching the ball into his own net. With three Town players around Moody when he went for the ball, the linesman ruled they had been interferring with play, with the referee ruling out the goal.
 
Billingham upped the pressure with Storr heading wide of the target, and some last ditch blocking stopping four efforts in the space of 10 seconds by the home side. Wills also made important saves from David Hillerby and Crossen, but the two teams went in goalless at the break.
 
The second half saw Town quickly out of the blocks with Carey playing in Mark Keddie whose effort was blocked in the box and Scott Burton shooting high and wide from a free kick on the edge of the box. McShane was introduced in place of Bellew after 55 minutes, and his corner set up Carey with a chance on the hour mark with Moody pulling off a stunning save to stop the ball finding the top corner.
 
Not to be outdone, Wills pulling off a stunning save of his own from after 65 minutes to deny Storr following a good move down the right.
 
Carey almost gave Town the lead after 66 minutes when he seized on a Moody miskick, the keeper redeeming himself with a save at Carey's feet. Three minutes later, Crossen broke down the right and into the box but saw his shot blocked.
 
The last ten minutes saw McShane put clear after a superb cross field ball from Adegbenro, but his cross was cleared for a corner. A nice move saw Dalton's shot from an acute angle saved by Moody, with Town squandering a great chance to win the tie in stoppage time. A corner from McShane found its way to Carey in the box, with his fierce shot hit straight at the keeper before being cleared.
 
The first period of extra time saw few chances with Scott Burton shooting at Moody and Chris Emms shooting wide. The second period saw Billingham substitute Ross Gardner force a good save from Wills, before Town's number one pulled off a stunning save to keep the scores level. Daniel Earl got clear on the left and advanced to the bye line before pulling the ball back to Michael Jameson. His shot from five yards out saw Wills dive to his left to palm it away.
 
The final chance of the game also went to the home side with Emms corner finding Daniel Wray in the box with Wills saving his header on the line.
 
Runcorn Town manager Simon Burton said afterwards “It was a very tight game in which both keepers played well and made some outstanding saves, but on chances created I felt we should have perhaps nicked it in the 90 minutes. That said, going up to the North East is never easy and if I had been offered a draw before the game then I'd have probably have taken it, knowing that we'd have home advantage in the replay.
 
“The draw means that we've managed to go a stage further than last season in one respect as our name will be in the hat for the Fifth Round on Monday which is pleasing. It's now up to us to make sure we stay in it next Saturday, and it should be another great game at Pavilions.
 
“I’d also like to pay tribute to our supporters who made the long trip up to Billingham. All the players were saying that the support on the day was fantastic, and it really spurred them on particularly in extra time.”

Martin Fallon