A MYDAS TOUCH

“There were some very, very good penalties – the keepers hardly got near any of them. We got lucky with one that hit the bar and has then gone in off the keeper – you think it’s your night when that happens.

“It eventually got to the stage where you just wanted someone to miss to put you out of your agony. It was a very tense situation.

“To start the season with that sort of game has given us a massive lift. There’s a real buzz around the club, it couldn’t have worked out better.”

The hard-fought success – the impressive Lauris Chin (two) and Alex Gaggin netted in normal time – earned the Isthmian South East side £1,125 in prize money, but, more importantly, handed them a preliminary round tie at East Grinstead Town next Saturday.

WHITTON United midfielder Mydas Smalls staked his claim to being the youngest-ever player to score in the FA Cup during the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties Premier side’s 4-3 win over Ipswich Wanders on Tuesday.

A-level student Smalls, aged 16 years and 63 days, beat the previous record by just three days. The record had been held by George Williams who, aged 16 years and 66 days, scored the sixth goal for

MK Dons in their 6-0 victory over Nantwich Town in November 2011.

It was also believed that Smalls was the seventh-youngest player ever to turn out in the competition.

Smalls netted to give his side a 3-2 lead. They will travel to Dereham Town in the next round.

He has made no secret of the fact that he wants to play for a League club. His brother Tyger Smalls had a trial with Arsenal.