Richmond Town advanced into the second round of this season’s Monkwearmouth Charity Cup on Saturday but needed a penalty shootout to overcome Durham Corinthians at the Dave Clark Arena.
It was the visitors who had the better of the opening exchanges, with Town taking until the midway point of the first half to get going.
Durham’s Alfie Jordan had an early chance with a shot from the edge of the box which Harry Dowding saved, pushing the ball out for a corner.
Once Richmond got out of first gear, they began to create chances. Eddie Lewington’s pass picked out Tom Kavanagh who crossed into the box but between them, Tafari Nicholas and James Stanger somehow failed to find the net.
Further Town chances fell to Chris McNab and Lewington, who from a Jimmy Muir defence splitting pass fired low to the left hand corner, but Durham keeper Harry Renwick made a good save.
Muir was at the heart of Richmond’s next attack when his quick thinking won back possession in the middle of the park before another inch perfect pass to McNab whose shot came back off the post. At the other end, Josh Fullerton was called into action, producing a superb tackle inside the box to thwart a Durham attack.
However, from the resulting corner, Jake Robinson got the final touch to give the visitors the lead with 35 minutes played.
Town manager Jason Newall was forced into a change shortly after when the influential Muir had to be replaced through injury.
His replacement Tom Carnegie-Brown was himself making his return to first team action after a lengthy injury.
In the closing moments of the half, Lewington went close when he cut inside his marker but fired wide of the far post before Scott Guy headed over from a corner kick.
It was from another corner, early into the second half that Jamie Harwood went close but headed over. Most of the game was now being played in Durham’s half, who also had to make changes due to injuries.
Richmond’s pressure was finally rewarded in the 17th minute from another corner. Carnegie-Brown crossed for Guy who rose above everybody else to head home. Town were now well on top and looked the most likely of the two teams to go on and win the game with the visitors on the back foot — Fullerton was inches wide of the target with a header from yet another corner.
A rare Durham attack saw a shot from Charlie Armin blocked in added on time.
Sam Pickersgill, who was back in a Richmond shirt and was another player making his return from the bench after a long period on the side-lines due to injury, had a shot but it was comfortably dealt with by Renwick.
So the cup tie was to be decided from 12 yards. Dowding got Richmond off to a great start, saving Durham’s first kick. Harwood, Carnegie-Brown and Joe Martin scored three of Richmond’s first four kicks. Pickersgill had seen his effort kept out by Renwick but after Dowding saved again, Kavanagh stepped up and made no mistake to win the tie.
Richmond are back in Wearside League action this Wednesday evening when Seaton Carew Seniors come to the Dave Clark Arena, kick off is at 7pm.
They then make the long journey across the A66 on Saturday to take on Windscale. Kick off in Cumbria is at 2.30pm.
