McCall of duty for hero stopper
GOALKEEPING captain Graeme McCall was Warrington Rylands’ spot-kick hero once again to book his side a place in the fifth round.
Two penalty shoot-out saves secured Rylands a home tie against North Ferriby on Saturday.
McCall – who also saved twice in the second round shootout win at Jarrow – began the afternoon in similar fashion when he saved Dean Thexton’s ninth minute spotkick.
That was the best opportunity of a goalless 90 minutes that Northern League side Shildon had the better of.
Rylands’ boss David McNabb said: “The last 20 minutes of the first half, I thought Shildon were very, very strong. They played to their strengths, they played percentage balls, they played off the front two and they caused us some real problems.
“The second half, we asked the lads to be a little bit braver in possession and out of possession. I think we showed that after the break.
“The second half was very up and down. It was a bit like a basketball game at times, going from one end to the other. But I’m just made up to be in the next round.”
An opening 45 minutes that was largely bossed by the hosts began with Joe Posthill winning their penalty, after a foul by Joe Denman.
McCall, however, got down to his left superbly to palm Thexton’s spot kick behind. Rylands’ best chance then arrived on 11 minutes, when Ste Milne side-footed just wide after being put through by Warren Gerrard.
Thexton blazed over from point-blank range 15 minutes later, when Michael Sweet beat McCall to a cross and squared to his strike partner.
It would be the home fullbacks who next came close.
First, right-back Aidan Heywood struck the angle of post and bar with a brilliant 25-yard left-footed effort.
Left-back Matty Robson then stung the palms of McCall with a well struck longrange attempt of his own.
Richard Smith headed a corner over for the Cheshire side two minutes after the restart but a stop-start second half would be punctuated more by yellow cards and substitutions than by genuine chances.
Milne looked to have been tripped in the Shildon box just past the hour but, rather than winning a penalty, he was booked for simulation.
After stalemate in normal time the Railwaymen had the edge in the shootout after Gerrard was denied by home keeper Shaun Newbrook.
McCall’s pair of saves from first Daniel Moore and then Heywood turned it in the visitors’ favour, though, to send them through.
Shildon player-manager Moore said: “After four months off, I thought we played really well. We didn’t deserve to get beat.
“But it’s not what happens in football all the time. Sometimes, it’s not always the best team wins.”