THEY did it the hard way, and in the most memorable of matches, but 10-man Turton reached the semi-finals of the Lancashire FA Shield with a victory at Daten.

A remarkable afternoon saw a red card for each side, a missed penalty and a last-ditch winner that earned the Tigers a place in the final four for the first time in 22 years.

Manager Craig Jones – a former Daten player – admits he went through a range of emotions at the Cheshire League Division One side, but ultimately was proud of his players as they remained on course to win the competition for the first time since 1913.

“I can’t fault my lads’ character and the will to win they showed,” he told The Bolton News. “They kept going, kept pushing, and kept digging away. Sometimes football isn’t about being pretty, sometimes you just have to somehow find a way to win and that’s what they did.

“I’ve played the game over in my mind about 300 times, it was just madness. It will have been fantastic for neutrals, it was always going to be a tough game with one goal in it.”

The first half in Warrington ended goalless, with a dismissal for Giddy De Rosso on the half hour the main talking point. The Turton man got involved in an altercation with a Daten defender who, according to Jones, made the most of the chance to ensure De Rosso walked.

Things went from bad to worse 10 minutes into the second half, when Turton gave the ball away in midfield and Daten broke for Chris Lawlor – an old foe of Jones – to knock in for a 1-0 lead.

“Chris has always been a fantastic player,” Jones said.

“He was with Irlam when I was with LR, I’ve known him a long time and he should be in the Evo-Stik League, probably even higher. We contributed to our own misfortune. I had wanted to shut up shop and catch them on the counter but Giddy’s red card made it very difficult for us.

“Their player was just as guilty when they went head to head, he was just cleverer.

“I’m one of the biggest critics of referees and linesmen there is but my choice words were reserved for half time when we got in.”

The numbers were evened up when a Daten player saw a straight red card for his reckless challenge on Dylan Winstanley and, just when it seemed Daten would see out the game, Turton equalised through defender Scott Fitzsimmons, who pounced on a loose ball in the area and fired in with five minutes to go.

Two minutes later Kieron Sisson was given the chance to send the Tigers through when a handball in the box saw them awarded a penalty.

But, though Jones admits he would happily have put his mortgage on Sisson scoring from the spot, he fired his penalty against the post.

His blushes were spared with six minutes of stoppage time gone, however, as anopther defender, Brad Yates, got a touch to a fine free kick from Jordan Lomax and the ball sneaked into the Daten goal, with no time for them to respond.

“I’m looking forward to the semi-finals now, I can’t wait,” said Jones.

“We’ve got our Divisional Cup game at Euxton Villa this weekend so that won’t be easy but we go into it on the back of two wins so if we all keep pulling together we’ll hopefully come through.”

Turton will not be joined in the Shield semi-finals by Tempest United, as they lost a penalty shootout at Coppull United after their match ended in a 1-1 draw.

In the West Lancashire League Division One there were losses for CMB, who were defeated 3-2 at Ulverston Rangers, Andy Bishop and Dan Crook scoring, and Stoneclough, for whom Ash Farlow’s goal was not enough in a 2-1 loss at Lostock St Gerards.

Horwich St Mary’s Victoria moved to top spot in Division Two with a 3-0 win at home to Charnock Richard’s reserve team.