John Emerson scored the crucial goal from the penalty spot

Woodstock Sports coach Scott Appleton admitted he did not even realise his side had qualified for the semi-finals of the Kent League Cup when the final whistle blew at the end of their second-leg win at Erith Town on Monday night.

Appleton, forced to come out retirement to come on as a second half substitute, had lost count of the score and mistakenly thought the quarter-final was heading for extra-time after the 5-3 victory.

“I thought it was 4-3 and wasn’t sure if the away goals rule counted,” Appleton said. “Then I saw all our players celebrating and I just thought thank God I haven’t got to run around for another 30 minutes.”

In what was possibly Woodstock’s most dramatic match since they started playing senior football in 2008, Appleton’s team overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to win 5-4 on aggregate.

The victory was even more remarkable because Woodstock were without four key players, with Ricky Freeman injured and player/manager Ben Taylor, midfielder Jack Goodger and experienced striker Lynden Rowland all missing due to work commitments.

“I spoke to Ben beforehand and found out we only had 13 players with me on the bench, and I’m meant to be retired,” Appleton said. “When we were warming up I could see they were taking the mickey out of us so I used that in the team talk and we played the best football we have for a long time.”

Woodstock levelled the scores on aggregate after just two minutes, when the Dockers’ centre back Nick Davis headed into his own net.

James McDonald put Woodstock ahead in the tie when he scored their second on 13 minutes, but the momentum swung back behind Erith when Tyrus Gordon pulled one back with a stunning finish just two minutes later and then rounded Jack Rankin to make it 3-2 to Erith on aggregate with barely half an hour gone.

Six minutes after the restart McDonald headed his second to give Woodstock the advantage, but on the hour James Hawkins struck for Erith to make it 4-3 on aggregate to the home side.

With 10 minutes left Louis Valencia scored for Woodstock and extra-time loomed until the visitors were awarded an 85th minute penalty, which John Emerson converted.

“It was fantastic, an absolutely fantastic match,” Appleton said, though he ruled out prolonging his comeback on Saturday, when Woodstock travel to Erith & Belvedere in the Kent League Premier Division.

“Hopefully we’ll get some players back, but the 11 who started on Monday night will start on Saturday,” he said. “I’d be out of order dropping any of them after that.”

Woodstock are eighth in the table after a 3-2 victory over Lordswood last Saturday, with McDonald twice giving them the lead and Rowland getting the third, before Lordswood pulled one back.

Photo by IGOR KUPCO