A very young Moors side secured their place in the next stage of the Durham County Challenge Cup with a dramatic late win over Durham FC Corinthians on Tuesday.

In a fixture played at Consett’s Belle View, Moors looked to be tumbling out of the competition when the hosts snatched the lead with just seven minutes remaining.

However, the award of two late penalties to Moors saw the tie turned on its head and ensured the Club successfully negotiated the First Preliminary Round.

Ian Clark took charge of Moors on the night, leading a starting eleven made up of no fewer than six 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old. Ben Beals captained the side as he continued to build fitness after injury and fellow First Teamers Dan Myers and Junior Mondal also started.

Before kick-off, both sides showed their support for If U Care Share’s Inside Out campaign by wearing their shirts inside out, marking World Suicide Prevention Day.

Windy conditions made things difficult for both sides and there were limited chances throughout a hard-fought contest on Consett’s artificial playing surface.

However, Moors had the better of the early opportunities as Archie Dodds volleyed wide at the far post before exciting youngster Kiyan Bayat curled an effort just too high.

When Clark’s men did get the ball into the net, the goal was disallowed by a tight offside call and the side went in goalless at half time.

Durham began the second half with more menace and both Josh Clark and Max Stoker both saw powerful shots deflected away from trouble by some determined defending from Moors.

It looked like the efforts of Moors teenagers was going to be in vain on 83 minutes when they failed to clear a ball into the box and defender Jake Robinson rifled in a low finish to make it 1-0.

However, there was a lifeline on 88 minutes when a foul in the box presented Moors with the chance to level things up – and Bayat confidently stroked home the penalty for 1-1.

That saw the tie moving towards being settled on a penalty shootout until, remarkably, Moors were awarded a second penalty in the third minute of injury time. This time Mondal took the responsibility from the spot and fired his kick past Harry Renwick in the Durham goal to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Full Time: Durham FC Corinthians 1 Moors 2

Moors: Johnson, Thompson, Myers, Toase, Chapman, Beals, Bayat, Dodds, Atkinson (Stewart 79), Rose, Mondal.
Subs not used: Beattie, Docherty, Cook, Wake.