MARVIN Nisbett headed the winner two minutes from time as Gornal dumped Southern League Rugby Town out of the FA Cup.

The striker converted Kristian Green’s cross to send the Garden Walk into ecstasy and cap a pulsating preliminary round replay.

Gornal had earlier fought back after Seb Hamilton put the visitors in front early on and deservedly lead at half-time through goals from Green and Calum Martin.

Richard Wesley and Tyrone Fagan scored for Rugby either side of a Dave Meese penalty before Nisbett snatched it at the death.

If you ever needed proof the FA Cup is the greatest cup competition in the world – this was it.

By the time the professional sides come to the party in a few months time results and the dozens of nights like this which take place in the early qualifying round don’t stand a chance of being mentioned.

But to manager Ian Rowe, his players and club officials that matters little. Tonight the magic was at the Garden Walk and the memories will and should live on for a long time, for this was the non-league equivalent of a giant-killing. Any concerns the opportunity for the shock may have been lost after Saturday’s goal-less draw were laid to rest, even after Hamilton’s early strike, as Gornal once more harried, pressured and more than matched the visitors. Again Rowe opted for a five-man midfield and it paid dividends – Rugby full-back Garry Moran will be seeing Nisbett in his nightmares for weeks.

Saturday’s game was played on the pristine surface of Butlin Road but any thoughts the visitors might struggle with the rougher Garden Walk pitch went quickly out of the window, as they were quickest to settle and grabbed the lead after five minutes. Confusion at the back allowed Hamilton to win the ball and he shrugged off the attentions of Gornal skipper Chris Waterhouse before sending a curling effort past keeper James Pemberton.

But as they proved on Saturday, the hosts have plenty of spirit and they gradually began to get a foothold in the game as the half wore on.

Meese sent a shot wide and another effort from distance clattering off the bar, before a deserved equaliser arrived past the half hour. Visiting defender Jamal Wilson seemed under little pressure to clear a long ball but fluffed his header, conceding a corner which was delivered by Lee Wherton and met at the far post by Green who nodded home.

Things got even better before the break, when Richard Young’s seemingly harmless long ball was met by an unmarked Martin who – depending on your point of view – either expertly or luckily placed a header wide of Connor and into the far bottom corner of the goal.

Rugby’s players were back out on the pitch a good five minutes before the second half and this perhaps contributed to their fast start and equaliser. Rowe was non too impressed to see a free-kick awarded against his side for handball 30 yards from goal but his anger levels rose 100 fold as Ben Steane found the untracked near post run of Westley, who slotted the ball through Pemberton’s legs.

But the referee was nothing if not consistent and 14 minutes later, when Wherton’s cross struck the arm of Steane in the box, he pointed straight to the spot. Meese smashed his spot-kick into the roof of the net and hosts were 3-2 up.

Back came Rugby, who just six minutes later were level again. A flick on was controlled on the edge of the box by Fagan who turned and unleashed an unstoppable half volley past Pemberton.

Now the game seemed anybodys and with tension levels rising both on and off the pitch, Connor saved smartly from Martin’s low effort, after the striker had controlled a Young long ball.

With four minutes to go, the hard-working Martin was replaced by Matt Weyman and Nisbett, who had played the previous 176 minutes of the tie on the left wing, was moved to a more familiar position up front.

The switch took just two minutes to work.

Mike Perks, on for a bloodied Jake Morgan, took possession in the middle and sprayed a perfect pass out to Green on the right. The wide man’s heavy first touch ruled out the possibility of a shot but looking up, he whipped in a short cross which Nisbett powered past Connor for a fitting conclusion to an epic tie.

GORNAL: Pemberton,Young, Keates, Gater, Waterhouse (c), Morgan J (Perks 57), Wherton, Meese, Martin (Weyman 86), Nisbett, Green (Sangha 90) Subs not used: Morgan C, Hensman.

GOALS: Green 31, Martin 39, Meese 63pen, Nisbett 88.

RUGBY: Connor, Moran, Wilson, Gunderlach, Gourlay, Evans, Steane (c), Milveld, Fagan, Hamilton, Wesley. Subs not used: Khan, Isherwood, Da Costa, Preston.

GOALS: Hamilton 5, Wesley 49, Fagan 69.