Blaenavon Blues - 7
Hirwaun Welfare - 6
On a Saturday when football took a back seat, Blaenavon Blues finally made it to the fourth round of the FAW Trophy after knocking out Hirwaun Welfare on penalties.
Before the game, the players and supporters of both clubs, including the complete Blues reserve team squad, observed an impeccable minute's silence in memory of long-standing Blues Chairman Mike Hall who sadly passed away during the week.
Mike's family were invited to the ground for a game which proved to be a great tribute to the Blaenavon Blues stalwart.
The Blues started the game on the back foot allowing Hirwaun to attack them at will, and only some last ditch defending and some great goal keeping from Jones kept the scores level.
The Blues took the lead against the run of play when a ball from the back found Johnson in space, who ran at the Hirwaun defence and fired home from twenty yards, leaving the keeper stranded.
The second half saw the Blues play some attractive football, and create chance after chance, but without producing the crucial telling touch.
With the Blues battling hard to kill the match off, they allowed Hirwaun to get back into the game with a well-taken goal by their front man.
With extra time looming, the Blues just couldn't find the killer instinct in front of goal to win the game in ninety minutes.
In extra time the game was a very open affair with the ball moving from end to end. First blood was drawn by Hirwaun,when Ryan Huish who had been outstanding all game sliced his clearance and it fell to the Hirwaun front who gratefully fired home.
The Blues thought that they had got back on level terms when Grant 'Vinny' Evans scored from a White cross only for the referee to rule it out for offside.
A few minutes later the Blues drew level when Evans was upended in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot for what looked a soft penalty, as the Hirwaun offender was dismissed for his second yellow of the afternoon.
Skipper White held his nerve to fire home, and the second half started with both sides pushing for the winner.
Hirwaun thought they had it when the Blues defence gifted them a ball and ended up handing Hirwaun a 3-2 lead.
With time ticking away Huish was pushed forward, and a great header down by Huish from a Neil Cox long-ball, was volleyed home by Evans to send the game into the dreaded penalty shoot out.
Unfortunately Huish saw red during a last ditch lunge tackle, which left the referee with little choice but to show the Blues man of the match a card of the same colour.
As with the rest of the day the shoot out was full of high drama, but the Blues finally won the day 7-6.
Mike Hall's funeral will take place this Friday, 11am, at St Peters Church, Blaenavon.