However, penalty heroics in both injury time and a shootout saw Longridge make history, and book their place in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy Semi Finals.

Youngster Leighton Hewitt produced more heroics after he bagged the winning penalty.

However, the heroics of goalkeeper Kier Barry also can't be overlooked.

There were four changes to the side that bested Squires Gate at the weekend as both Gary Basterfield and Morgan Homson-Smith made their first starts since returning to the club.

Connor Newton and Ethan Edmundson also came back into the starting XI.

On his return, Homson-Smith looked to test the 'keeper early on.

As we passed the first minute, the attacker hit one from 20 yards but it bobbled wide of the target as Town were finding their feet.

Lancaster began to turn the screw pretty early on, as Nathan Caine's square ball looked to be an easy tap in for Marcus Cusani at the back post, but Mitch Marshall made a crucial intervention to stop it rolling into the attacker's path.

Brayden Shaw then cut inside and hit one goalwards but Barry was there to tip it round the post as he was called into action for the first time.

Marshall then made an excellent challenge on the half-way line to fashion a half chance for Liam Atkinson but his 20 yard shot was blocked by Dylan Moonan.

Dolly Blues attacker Nic Evangelinos managed to get a foot on the ball as it bounced around the danger zone to lash it goalwards but it was straight at Barry.

Caine looked to bend it into the far corner as Lancaster came forward again but it could only roll wide.

As we broke into the 20th minute, Atkinson won a corner after beating his man and deflecting the ball off him.

Despite a pretty mellow and cool game thus far, we then viewed a pretty controversial moment.

As Devenney launched it up field, Matty Van Wyk raced onto it.

He beat the Lancaster back line for pace and bared down on goal, so much so that goalkeeper Aidan Dowling had to race off his line.

The 'keeper flew through the attacker getting nowhere near the ball and hacking him down as the last man.

Despite this, the referee only brandished a yellow card, much to the frustration of the Longridge players and travelling supporters.

However, we continued and the resulting free kick was lobbed into the wall by Homson-Smith.

The bookings then started to flow as Lancaster's Ed Ikpakwu and Town's Basterfield both earned text book yellows for late challenges once their men were already away.

Finley Devenney then came close to breaking the deadlock after a Homson-Smith free kick was nodded just wide by the defender.

Barry then made perhaps his most impressive save yet, as he fingertipped a bending effort from Cusani just past the far post.

Homson-Smith found Marshall on the far side whose cross was headed out of the path of Atkinson by Moonan.

Town made a single change at half time, as Ben Trafford departed for Leighton Hewitt, with Marshall taking the captain's armband for the time being.

Devenney took the game's next booking for a foul on Coulton down the left.

The free kick was smashed goalwards by Caine and tipped onto the bar by Barry.

Unfortunately, the rebound fell perfectly for Evangelinos who tapped it into the back of the empty net.

Down but not out, Town looked for a quick fire equaliser.

Van Wyk raced onto a ball from midfield but got his finish all wrong and side footed it wide of the far post.

Ashcroft then went to his bench, swapping Edmundson and Homson-Smith with Luke Smith and Jack Anderton.

Lancaster looked good value for a second as Cusani fired at goal from close range but more goalkeeping heroics from Kier Barry kept the attacker at bay.

With Connor Newton taking a knock and being unavailable to continue, Ashcroft took this chance to make our final two substitutions of the night.

Newts departed for now captain Ryan McLean whilst Jenson Carter took the place of Van Wyk.

This seemed to have an instant impact with Town look rejuvenated.

They caught the hosts by surprise and both Anderton and Atkinson saw efforts kept out by the hands of Dowling.

Town then got a surprise of their own, as a dipping 30 yard volley from Shaw almost nestled in the back of the net.

However the ever determined Barry raced back to tip it over the crossbar.

Dolly Blues captain Charlie Bailey then received it on the half turn and set himself well but his 20 yard effort soared just over the top right corner.

Anderton then drifted a corner into the area as we entered the final five.

Dowling punched it out but only as far as Marshall who looked to lob it back over the 'keeper but it dropped at just the wrong side of the post.

Lancaster then looked certain, guaranteed to kill the game, as substitute attacker Josh Abbott pounced on a defensive mishap, and raced one-on-one with Barry.

Unfortunately for him, he got the finish all wrong, and shanked the ball way wide of the far corner.

This seemed to rev Town back to life.

Atkinson looked to fashion himself a chance but the best he could do was hit a tame effort into the goalkeeper's arms.

As we entered three minutes of injury time, Basterfield delivered a free kick into the box, which caused Lancaster some problems, but they still managed to clear.

However, with Town simply not giving this one up, Smith received it half-way into the penalty area from Basterfield.

He took a good touch to get past Moonan, but in the process of trying to stop him, the centre half's wayward leg tripped the midfielder up leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

With nerves of steel, Atkinson took responsibility and placed it into the bottom left corner, much to the relief and delight of the travelling Ridge army.

It was quite literally the last kick of the game as the second the ball hit the net, the referee blew the full time whistle, taking the game to a penalty shootout to decide who took the semi final spot.

Lancaster captain Bailey bagged the first penalty in-front of the Dolly Blues fans, Barry inches off saving it.

Atkinson also made no mistake with our first spot kick, finding the bottom left as before.

Sloan would then make it 2-1 as it just forced it's way through the left hand of Barry and into the top corner.

Luke Smith then levelled things up again with a tidy penalty side footed right.

The host's second top goalscorer would take their third.

As Lawson ran up, he looked to roll into into the bottom right.

However Barry was more than equal to it and pounced on the shot to make his first shootout save.

Devenney then looked to put Ashcroft's army ahead for the first time in the shootout but unfortunately it rebounded off the inside of the post.

However, Barry didn't fancy Lancaster taking the lead again, and made a fantastic diving save to this right to parry away Shaw's effort.

Longridge would then go ahead for the first time and McLean belted the ball into the bottom left back to silence the rowdy Dolly Blues faithful.

Mansell then managed to score the first penalty for the hosts that Barry didn't get a hand to to make it 3-3.

It mattered little however, when youngster Hewitt took a breath and fired it home to send Longridge into their first ever LFA Cup semi final, causing scenes both on and off the pitch.

Once the draw has been completed, Ashey's Reds will face one of either Bacup Borough, Southport or Padiham.

All will obviously be tough ties with the first mentioned causing a massive cupset as well last night, beating National League North side Radcliffe.

Once again, we thank you for your tremendous support.

We return home to face Cheadle Town on Saturday 25th before also hosting Padiham in the second round of the Macron Cup.

For those looking to attend the latter, please give this article a read: https://https://www.longridgetownfc.com/news/padiham-cup-tie-info-2895754.html

The Goals

Lancaster: Evangelinos (49')

Longridge: Atkinson (90+4' P)

The Teams

Lancaster: Dowling, C.Bailey, Moonan, Ikpakwu (S.Bailey 55'), Coulton, Thompson, Sloan, Shaw, Caine (Abbott 75'), Evangelinos (Mansell 65'), Cusani (Lawson 65')

Longridge: Barry, Marshall, Trafford (Hewitt 46'), Newton (McLean 69'), Devenney, Basterfield, Edmundson (Smith 64'), Richmond, Homson-Smith (Anderton 64'), Van Wyk (Carter 69'), Atkinson