Raynes Park Vale advanced to the next round after a penalty shootout victory against Littlehampton Town in a match played on Friday evening. The game, held at Littlehampton Town’s home ground, saw the visitors recover from an early deficit to ultimately prevail.

Littlehampton Town opened the scoring in the third minute when Harry Heath converted a penalty, giving the Marigolds an early lead. However, Raynes Park Vale responded before halftime, with Kyen Nicholas equalizing after capitalizing on a well-delivered cross from Natty Boakye.

The home side regained the advantage early in the second half through a goal by Josh Short, putting Littlehampton Town ahead 2-1. The momentum shifted in the closing stages after Short, who had already been booked, received a second yellow card and was sent off with six minutes remaining. Raynes Park Vale took advantage of their numerical superiority and leveled the score once more when Nicholas scored with a header.

The match proceeded to a penalty shootout after the 90 minutes ended in a 2-2 draw. Despite missing their first penalty, Raynes Park Vale maintained composure, successfully converting the subsequent seven attempts. Goalkeeper Faebian Witter played a crucial role by saving one of Littlehampton Town’s spot-kicks, ensuring his team’s victory.

This win ends a four-match losing streak for Raynes Park Vale and allows them to progress further in the competition.