THERE were times at the Denplan City Ground on Saturday when you couldn’t tell which was the higher-grade side.

Maidenhead United arrived in Hampshire lying ninth in the National League South, two divisions above hosts Winchester City, writes Wendy Gee.

But, come the final whistle, it was Alan Devonshire’s ten-man Magpies breathing a sigh of relief as substitute Gavin James bagged an 89th-minute equaliser to deny Winchester a richly-deserved place in the FA Cup third qualifying round.

City could have been ahead even before United’s Dave Tarpey got his 22nd-minute marching orders for barging into Micky Hubbard and badly winding the Winchester midfielder.

Zach Glasspool made the ten men pay, firing home at the second attempt on the half-hour after Dan Cann had delivered the ball in from the left.

The Magpies’ ex-Eastleigh striker Ben Wright hit the foot of the post and young City goalkeeper Brendan Norris made a couple of timely saves – but not half as many as his opposite number Carl Pentney whose goal came under siege midway through the second half.

Cann had a stack of chances, the best of which was a venomous shot on the turn saved one-handedly by Pentney who, moments earlier, had got down to stop sub Matt Benham’s long-range strike.

Warren Bentley danced his way into space and put one wide for good measure before Maidenhead broke City hearts.

Young Norris had just denied Harry Pritchard at his near post when he and City’s defence failed to deal with Wright’s 89th-minute corner. It fell to sub James to throw the visitors the lifeline of a Tuesday night replay at York Road.

Reflecting on the 1-1 draw, City boss Paul Masters said: “It’s one that got away. The dressing room’s a bit low because, even before the sending-off, we dominated. The lads were brave enough to pass the ball and create good opportunities.

“I said beforehand that, when we’re on our game, we’re a match for anyone – including from the leagues above. In fact we seem to play better against better sides.

“We’ll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and go again on Tuesday and hopefully we’ll give them a really good game. We weren’t fazed before today and we won’t be fazed again.”

City’s goalscoring hero Glasspool is touch and go for the replay having limped off with a calf problem after 52 minutes.

Praising the marksman, who tends to live in the shadow of top gun Bentley, Masters said: “Some people say he’s Warren’s sidekick, but Zach’s got himself fitter, he’s improved his game and he stands as a good player in his own right.

“He got a dead calf in the Hampshire Senior Cup the other night and it stiffened up at half-time, but hopefully it will settle down.”

Winchester City: Brendan Norris, Adam Tomasso, Leigh Mills, Jamie Barron, Jamie Thoroughgood, Rob Flooks, Adam Roberts, Micky Hubbard, Zach Glasspool (Matt Benham, 52), Warren Bentley, Dan Cann. Subs (not used) George Short, Harrison Fay, Geoff Dunn, George Baxter.

Referee: Elliott Kaye.

Attendance: 245.