North West Counties League Division One side Cheadle Town provided the opposition in this FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round tie, as The Ambers looked to extend their unbeaten run to nine games.
It was the visitors who started the stronger, with Magida breaking through in the first minute, only to be denied by a double save from Archie Sneath, and The Ambers were soon on the front foot themselves with Kieran Wells twice coming close. The best opportunity however came the way of Steve Warne after Wells dispossessed Cheadle keeper Samberg, but the midfielder failed to keep his 25 yard shot at an unguarded goal down and it sailed over the bar.
Handsworth paid the price for failing to turn possession into goals when the visitors took the lead on 22 minutes. The dangerous Mason got away down the right and his cross was deflected into the path of Magida who slotted home from close range. The Ambers hit back strongly and only inspired goal keeping from Samberg kept them out, as Richard Tootle, Simon Harrison and Wells all went frustratingly close before the visitors hit them with the sucker punch, this time Magida being the provider for Sherrington to score via a deflection.
With the home side staring at an unexpected exit from the competition, Manager Peter Duffield sacrificed Tootle to introduce Luke Fletcher in an attempt to win back the midfield battleground and The Ambers continued to dominate but could not make the breakthrough despite cross after cross from the trusted left foot of Danny Buttle, whilst the visitors continued to threaten on the break.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, as The Ambers carried on peppering the Cheadle goal and the visitors went close twice on the break when they did manage to get hold of the ball. After a Colin Marrison header was superbly saved at the expense of a corner, The Ambers finally got the breakthrough they deserved when Wells headed home just before the hour mark. For the next fifteen minutes, the pressure on the visiting defence grew as The Ambers turned the screw, but somehow, Samberg and his defenders kept them at bay until a terrific header from a Buttle cross gave Wells his second of the afternoon, and it was now game on.
Wells almost claimed his hat trick a minute later but shot straight at the keeper, and a teasing Buttle cross was almost deflected into the Cheadle goal by a desperate defender. With just three minutes remaining, and both Managers no doubt contemplating extra time, Steve Warne showed his class by jinking his way into the box and placing the ball beautifully beyond the outstretched arm of Samberg and into the bottom corner of the net to complete a well-deserved Ambers comeback.
Despite the referee finding four minutes of extra time from somewhere, The Ambers held on to close out the game and claim their place in the next round.

Match highlights courtesy of Ground Hop TV can be found on this link HIGHLIGHTS