Osbourne’s late goal puts County in hat

demoralise, the visitors for the remainder of the first half.

A pair of headers from free-kicks by Hare were headed beyond each of County’s uprights - either side of a close-range Dimaio toe-poke that visiting goalkeeper Dane Rigby held at the second attempt. And five minutes before the break, an 1874 free-kick from the right was squared to Callum Gardner - whose shot from the edge of the box was brilliantly tipped over by Ormson.

The Hatters regained their earlier momentum upon the resumption earning three corners within the second half’s opening five minutes, before Alex Jackson and Cowan shot beyond the crossbar and right post, respectively.

But 10 minutes after the re-start, the visitors went closer still, when Taylor Kennerley’s angled

effort from the left was parried by Ormson, who recovered to block Gardner’s follow-up shot.

The Hatters owed a further debt of gratitude to Ormson after 65 minutes, when the ‘keeper tipped at full stretch past the right post a low drive from Michael Koral - as well as to Referee Woodward, for rather surprisingly awarding a goal-kick to County afterwards.

And County’s Number One for the evening produced a hat-trick of second-half wonders by

catching cleanly on the line, with arms outstretched, an awkward looping header by Jack Tinning.

Having endured a spell of fits and starts in attempting to make their extra man count, the Hatters embarked upon some more focused possession as the prospect of extra-time, and possibly penalties, loomed. And, with three minutes left on the clock, Dimaio produced a neat turn and shot - only to see the attempt smothered by Rigby.

But cometh the hour and a half, cometh the man. With 90 minutes just up, Osborne - for it was he - concluded an entertaining evening’s fare with its ultimately decisive moment, by way of a sweetly-struck low drive from outside the area that fizzed past Rigby and into the bottom-right corner to settle the tie.