Hemel Hempstead were held to a 1-1 draw at home by lower-league side Wingate & Finchley in a closely contested match on Saturday, forcing a replay. The game, which took place at Hemel’s home ground, saw the hosts take the lead late in the second half before conceding a late penalty.

The encounter began with Hemel maintaining the majority of possession, but the match took a difficult turn for the Tudors early on. Captain Charlie Rowan was stretchered off after 31 minutes due to injury, and in the final minutes of the first half, Hemel’s other starting centre-back, David Longe-King, also had to be substituted because of injury. These defensive setbacks put additional strain on the home side’s backline.

The second half featured an increased level of competition, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Hemel’s recent signing Rio Oudnie-Morgan showed promise in attack, coming close to scoring on two occasions. The home side eventually broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Jake Tabor, another summer addition, converted a flicked header from Josh Steele to put Hemel ahead.

Wingate & Finchley responded swiftly, threatening to equalize, but Hemel’s goalkeeper Michael Johnson produced a remarkable double save to keep the lead intact. However, the advantage lasted only ten minutes. Hemel conceded a penalty after Jack Thomas went down during a challenge inside the box. Substitute Scott Kashket successfully converted the spot-kick five minutes from the final whistle, leveling the score and sending the tie to a replay.

The late penalty and the injuries to key defenders prevented Hemel Hempstead from securing a win at home, extending the contest against their lower-league opponents. The replay will determine which team advances further in the competition.