Joint manager Steve Race on Long Stratton's historic win in the Ashtons Legal Norfolk Senior Cup at Fakenham Town

A 10-goal thriller and a penalty shootout saw Long Stratton create their own piece of history in the Ashtons Legal Norfolk Senior Cup.

The Fosters Solicitors Anglian Combination Premier Division outfit made the trip to higher-league Fakenham Town in the second round on Saturday.

The Reds trailed 1-0 and 3-1 to their Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division hosts, before fighting back to lead 4-3 and 5-4, but a last-minute goal from Fakenham sent the tie to penalties.

And it was Stratton’s goalkeeper George Macrae who scored the decisive spot kick to win the shootout 5-4 and cap off an historic day.

“It was an incredible game to say the least,” Stratton’s joint manager Steve Race reflected.

“There was 10 goals and a penalty shootout. Never in all my time in management, and that’s 22 years, I’ve never known a game like that.

“It was a nice moment for the club and it was historic for Long Stratton Football Club.

“The club has been going since 1911 and here we are the first team in the club’s history to have beaten a Step 5 team in a competitive game of football.

“So there was a bit of history there as well. It was a great day and we hope for many more like that.”

After receiving a bye through the opening round of Norfolk’s leading cup competition, Stratton visited the Daly Group Stadium at the weekend to play a Fakenham side who play two leagues higher up the pyramid.

Chris Bartram scored the first of Stratton’s five goals with an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, with Ryan Tebble and James Bemrose both finding the target to get the visitors back on level terms again at 3-3.

In a goal-crazy finale, Sam Page fired Stratton in front for the first time on 85 minutes, and Bartram netted his second to regain that advantage on 90 minutes after Fakenham had equalised.

But the higher-league hosts snatched a last-minute goal to make it 5-5 and ensure a thrilling cup tie would be decided on penalties.

And after the first eight penalties were all converted, Fakenham fired their fifth spot kick over the crossbar and then up stepped goalkeeper Macrae to slot home the decisive penalty.

Another trip to a Step 5 side awaits in the next round for Stratton, in Norwich United, later in the season, but it is now five wins in a row in all competitions for Race and Damian Hilton’s men, who are now starting to build some momentum.

“To be honest, we’d been spluttering a bit with results before that run of games,” Race said. “We’ve drawn a lot of games that we should have won and the results weren’t reflecting the performances.

“The performances have been getting better and better. We had a brilliant pre-season and we beat teams at Step 5 and Step 6.

“It was really good and it was almost too good in a way as we got to the league and people were talking us up as possibly favourites for the league.

“The results weren’t reflecting the performances, but we just knew it was a matter of time before we clicked into gear.

“We’ve had five wins on the trot now and we need to keep this momentum going now and see where we end up.”

Stratton’s run of wins has seen them climb up to ninth place in the Premier Division, with a trip to 10th-placed UEA next up tomorrow (2pm).

Next week will see the Reds turn their attention back to the cup competitions as they visit league rivals Beccles Town in the Mummery Cup quarter-finals.

“Me and Damian have been involved in the youth set-up and the reserves and now this is our first season with the first team,” Race said. “It’s early days but we’ve got some really good young lads in the reserves who are coming through well.”