Chertsey Town 1 Whitley Bay 1 (after extra-time)

The Curfews must do it all again on Saturday after last weekend's FA Carlsberg Vase fifth-round tie finished all square after two hours of play.

Having forced a path through 105 minutes of hard fought action, during which time a result either way could have been produced, Chertsey were eventually frustrated in not finishing off their northern visitors in an enthralling, full-blooded tie against holders and favourites Whitley Bay.

Assisted in having only 10 men to battle against after Bay’s goal scorer was dismissed for a second yellow on 80 minutes, Chertsey laid a late siege on the Geordies' goal, and it was only the heroic acrobatics of keeper Terry Burke that stopped his side from conceding the tie.

It was ironic for Burke to be made the hero of the Whitley hour for he had a less-than-impressive start to the game, and was shaken for a while after full-back Ollie Treacher put Chertsey in the lead by unleashing a 35-yard strike that bulged the back of the net with the keeper grabbing at air.

The fourth-minute Chertsey success must have shocked the hitherto-confident trophy holders, but they struck back within three minutes, when a corner was headed down to Richard Hodgeson, who was left with enough room to turn the ball into the Chertsey goal.

The opening gambit suggested that plenty of goals were on their way but, in fact, no more were conjured, with both defences playing their full part in keeping tight, not that gaps still appeared on occasion.

Town’s lapse in conceding the early equaliser was not repeated and all goal efforts from Whitley came either from distance or under pressure from close- marking white-shirted southerners.

It was perhaps telling that Whitley’s goalkeeper was made man of the match by the press, for he had to make far more finger-tip saves than his opposite number.

Liam Stone, too, had a far-from-easy afternoon but most of his action came in addressing crosses into his area, which he dealt with assurance.

At the other end, John Pomroy’s reputation went before him and was kept on a tight rein, but not enough to prevent him delivering what looked two goal-bound shots, one in the first half and another in the closing minutes, both looking odds-on winners before Burke acted.

With a average age of 23, Chertsey’s youthful side matured with this full-on encounter.

Although the disappointment of failing to complete the job at home against a far more experienced side that fielded only two players without Vase final experience, was felt immediately after the game that the Surrey side proved to the Whitley Bay contingent they were not as frail as was previous supposed.

The Curfews will have learned much and will be unfazed by their rival fans’ assertion that the door to the quarter-finals is already open for the Seasiders to walk through.

In a similar situation in 1988, fancied Falmouth Town made the same mistake after drawing at Alwyns Lane but were denied a sixth-round place on that occasion by the Surrey underdogs.

So, another testing but sporting clash is likely, with neither side giving ground, to further enhance the romance of a competition that has continued to win more friends than foes during its 35 years existence.