Bizarre end to strangest FA Cup encounter ever
- by Soccer America , Dec 30, 2008
It took four games before there was a winner, Droylsden, and that was reserved when it was discovered that defender Sean Newton, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win, was ineligible.
Before that, games were halted for fog and light failure, and the third match ended in a 2-2 tie when Chesterfield allowed a Droylsden player to score straight from the kickoff to make up for one of its players taking a ball put back in play following an injury and lobbing the Droylsden keeper.
Newton was ineligible after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season, which meant he was suspended for one match, a ban which should have ruled him out of the fourth cup game.
The FA ruled that Chesterfield will play Ipswich Town in Saturday's third round.
The first game was abandoned at halftime for fog with Droylsden leading 1-0. The third game was called with 20 minutes to play when the lights went out in Droylsden with Chesterfield leading 2-0.
Then there was the chaotic scenes late in the second encounter at Chesterfield when the home team's Jack Lester took a ball put back into play following an injury to Chesterfield's Carl Lamb and instead of giving it back to Droylsden lobbed keeper Craig Mawson for a goal.
A riot almost broke on the field before cooler heads prevailed and Chesterfield allowed Droylsden's Steve Halford to score from the kickoff to make it 2-2.