Long Melford seal Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-final spot with last minute winner at Hadleigh United

A goalkeeper error in the final regulation minute ended up ultimately handing Long Melford a quarter-final spot in the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup at hosting Hadleigh United's expense tonight.

After George Bugg spilled a Sammy Newton cross at his near post, fellow substitute Carlos Lazar poked the loose ball through his legs to seal a 3-2 victory at the Millfield.

It came after Hadleigh left-back Tom Warren had headed in at both ends in the first half before his side equalised for the second time in the tie, following a Ryan Gibbs penalty, with a fine 70th minute header from substitute Kyron Andrews.

Melford were much the better side in that first period but went off the boil with Hadleigh creating the better chances in the second period.

Only Sam Mills and Liam Wales remained from the Hadleigh line-up that took on Kirkley & Pakefield in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat as Steve Holder rang the changes.

David Hennessey's side, in contrast, showed just three alterations from a 3-3 home draw with Sheringham Deklyn Roy, Fred Dende and Perry Newman starting in place of Lazar, Lewis Brennan and Ben Humphreys.

The first real chance saw Melford's Whiting-Naokes test Bugg from a 22-yard free kick but it was a comfortable height for the Hadleigh goalkeeper.

It continued to be the visitors who looked the more threatening and Gibbs slid in Dende in the 27th minute but he ended up fouling Bugg as he rushed off his line to close the angle down.

Within three minutes the home goalkeeper was picking the ball out of his net though after seeing his own left-back, Warren, inadvertedly head Ben Judge's dangerous cross past him.

Hadleigh responded positively to the setback though with Louie Bloom put in behind the defence only for the offside flag to go up while Max Boulter soon spilled a low cross from Harry Brown with his defence clearing up.

Up the other end Melford had a decent chance to double their lead after Josh Collins got his head on a Newman corner on the run but saw it spin well wide.

Hadleigh found themselves level a minute before the break though when Warren made amends for his own goal with a header from a wide free kick from Regan Pelling that bounced up off the turf and in.

The Brettsiders had a decent chance take the lead less than a minute into the second half but Louie Bloom put his angled shot from Warren's clever throughball the wrong side of the near post.

Up the other end Dende's dangerous cross almost found Newman at the far post, though his run was just a little too late.

Harry Brown did connect with a low cross from Warren in front of the Melford goal soon after but could only send it into a Melford defender.

The visitors had failed hit the heights they reached in the first half but re-took the lead in the 62nd minute after being awarded a penalty when Gibbs was knocked off his stride by Harry Wales. The same player then cooly despated the kick by sending Bugg the wrong way.

Hadleigh came back again though with their second equaliser of the night arriving in the 70th minute when substitute Andrews produced a fine header into the left-hand corner from Pelling's left-wing cross.

Holder's side had chances to then find the winner themselves but Harry Wales and Sam Mills both wasted headers from Liam Wales corners while a powerful effort from substitute Max Dinnell was blocked on the edge of the area.

Just as the tie looked destined to head to a penalty shootout a bizarre winner arrived for Melford in the 90th minute. A harmless-looking low left-wing cross from substitute Newton was spilled loose by Bugg and former Romanian professional Lazar was on hand to stab it home to keep up his fine gaolscoring run since his recent introduction into the club.

Hadleigh United: Bugg, Elliott, Warren, Clarke (c) (Dinnell 80'), Mills, H Wales, Pelling (Harvey 90+4'), Mayhew, Bloom, L Wales, Brown (Andrews 59'). Unused substitutes: Eady, Munson.

Booked: Clarke (38'), Mills (57')

Long Melford: Boulter, Holmes (Brennan 76'), Judge, Jackson, Roy (Lazar 85'), Collins, Dende, Whiting-Noakes, R Gibbs, Brown (c), Newman (Newton 58'). Unused subs: J Gibbs, Humphreys.

Booked: Whiting-Naokes (47'), Brown (83'), Collins (90+5'), Gibbs (90+5').

Attendance: TBC.

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Ben Judge.