A sensational FA Carlsberg Trophy quarter final saw Chasetown level the scores with two minutes to go for a 2-2 draw with Mansfield Town.
Some of the finest football seen at the Scholars Ground all season gave the capacity 2000 crowd more than enough to shout about as both teams gave maximum attack throughout the 90 minutes.
There was no quarter asked or given as the Stags produced a pair of long-range thunderbolts for their goals but a first Scholars goal for Jimmy Turner and a late mistake by visiting keeper David Grof levelled things up to set up a replay.
The hosts were on the attack right from the kick-off with a drive down the right sliced across the face of goal by Richard Davies while Louis Moult saw his first attack for Mansfield blocked by Chris Slater.
Both sides had made very positive starts and soon settled into a rhythm, both sets of fans in full voice spurring their sides on.
An Ashley Cain free kick for the visitors was headed onto the crossbar by Tom Naylor in the 14th minute and bounced over for a goal kick as the Blue Square Bet Premier side turned up the wick but the Scholars were fighting in trademark style commanded by skipper Richard Teesdale.
Slater again blocked Mansfield’s next attack and the follow-up shot from Gary Silk was gathered by Ryan Price.
Chasetown continued to force paths through the Stags defence, Dean Perrow’s low shot gathered by Grof in the 17th minute before Slater impressed yet again to end a superb solo run down the left by Cain.
Moult and leading scorer Paul Connor were next to pepper Chase’s goalmouth but found only the side netting as Price and the Scholars defence kept things tight at the back.
Welcome returnee Gary Birch beat two defenders down the left on 24 minutes but no-one was close enough to tap his cross home, while on the half hour Chris Peel’s looping shot forced Grof into a fine save as the Scholars continued to battle gamely in a hugely entertaining game.
Despite their efforts Mansfield took the lead in fine style on 35 minutes when Connor popped up in the middle and unleashed a screaming 25-yard shot that left Price with no chance for his 16th goal of the season.
The Stags could have made it two four minutes later following a defensive scramble but Louis Briscoe’s shot went over the bar and a succession of corners followed, the goal having knocked some wind out of the Chasetown sails.
A dangerous-looking Mansfield free kick was blasted into the wall from the edge of the area to end an action-packed first half with the visitors just shading the spoils so far.
Grof saw action right from the second half kick-off, diving low to counter Danny Smith’s attack while Price produced an even more spectacular save to deny Briscoe from a cross-cum-shot moments later.
Chasetown got closer and closer to an equaliser thereafter, Teesdale hitting the crossbar following a Davies corner after the latter had seen his free kick gathered by Grof in the 58th minute.
One minute later the equaliser finally came as Turner swung in a superbly-placed cross looking for Teesdale but the skipper’s finishing touch was not required as Turner’s maiden Scholars goal clipped the post on its way into the net to a huge roar from the capacity crowd.
The Scholars continued to battle hard to try and find a way through but in the 74th minute Mansfield restored their advantage when Briscoe found space and lashed a shot past Price from 20 yards.
Briscoe could have netted his second with ten minutes to go but this time Price was equal to his shot, but Chasetown were not finished yet and Peel’s shot through a ruck of players shaved the outside of the post in the 86th minute.
The Scholars threw everything they had behind the ball in the closing stages and in the 89th minute snatched a sensational equaliser when a Davies corner swung into the net with a helping hand from Grof to delirious scenes.
Perrow burst through in stoppage time but Grof cleared with his knee and the Scholars had earned a replay at Field Mill for the chance to defeat a third Blue Square Bet Premier side this season.
Firstly though the side will turn their attention to this Saturday’s (March 5) Evo-Stik Premier at Ossett Town (3pm kick-off).
Chasetown: Price, Turner, Peel, Slater, Davies, Teesdale (c), D Smith, Parsons, Birch, Perrow, Jevons. Subs: Hay (Birch 82), Stephens (D Smith 70), Cohen, Abbott (Parsons 85), M Branch.
Mansfield: Grof, Silk, Naylor, Sandwith, Stonehouse, Cain, Thompson, Murray (c), Briscoe, Connor, Moult. Subs: Marriott, Foster (Stonehouse 62), Mitchley, Nix (Thompson 82), A Smith (Cain 82).