Captain marvel Dave Stevens struck an injury-time winner to send Leatherhead into dreamland and an FA Cup tie against league opposition for the first time in 26 years.

The 27-year-old Tanners skipper netted from close range to put his side into the first round proper of the world's most famous cup competition and a trip to League Two strugglers Torquay United.

Stevens, who bagged a hat-trick in the previous round, was booked for celebrating with fans after his dramatic last-gasp goal in a 2-1 win at Essex outfit AFC Sudbury.

But the talismanic estate agent was beyond caring as the final whistle blew to spark wild scenes at King's Marshes.

"I was ecstatic when I scored and the atmosphere created by the fans was amazing," he said after diving into delerius Leatherhead followers.

"The supporters have been fantastic all season and, with the timing of the goal and its significance, I just wanted to share the moment with them.

"I didn't see the card go up but it is the first one I have had all season so I'm not bothered."

Fetcham Grove chief Dave Harlow described Stevens' winner as the most exhilarating experience of his life, as he became the first manager to lead the Tanners into the first round since a 5-0 defeat at Exeter City in 1980.

The cup run has so far bagged the club £25,000 in prize money alone and is just reward for the backing Harlow received from officials when he broke the bank to bring in players in the summer. And he believes the gamble can only be a good sign for the rest of the campaign.

"There was a moment before we scored when I thought we could nick it, but to do it like that was exhilarating," said Harlow, whose side have not lost in their past 18 matches.

"We were slightly over budget at the start of the season but the chairman stuck with it.

"It allowed us to keep two keepers on our books, which has proved vital.

"Dave was the right man, in the right place, at the right time. Simple as that."

Leatherhead fell behind after 30 minutes but, within minutes of the restart, Gavin Bolger had levelled the scores.

Sudbury, who knocked Kingstonian out of the FA Trophy last week, were reduced to 10 men on the hour-mark when Shane Wardley was sent off for a lunge on Marc Charles-Smith.

Stevens, who had one of his quieter games, made the extra man count two minutes into injury time to send 200 travelling fans into raptures.

Stevens, who has scored in three out of four FA Cup qualifying rounds so far, considered a move to Ks earlier in the season, but declared he was glad he changed his mind.

"It was an easy decision to make because I don't have anything to prove here and I am enjoying my football," he said.

"The team has been together two or three seasons now and our expectations are higher.

"I am certainly not regretting the decision to stay."

Leatherhead: Borg, Beer, Gray, Doherty, Duncan, Hendry, Bolger, Holes (Bennetts), Sargent, Charles-Smith (Thompson), Stevens.

Staggeringly, Stevens repeated his late party piece in Monday night's 2-1 win at Dartford, which lifted the Tanners to eighth in Ryman Division One South.

Steve Sargent's equaliser soon after the break set up another grandstand finish, and Stevens proved the hero for the second time in 48 hours.