An extra-time winner from substitute Troy Howard carried Deal through to the third round of the SCEL Challenge Cup on Wednesday night.

The young winger fired home early in the second period of extra-time to complete a battling Hoops comeback against their First Division opponents.

Derek Hares’ side had been stunned by two goals in the opening 25 minutes from Snodland who had gone into the tie having lost their six previous matches in all competitions.

And although the Hoops created all the early chances, including having a Connor Coyne “goal” harshly ruled out for offside, it was Snodland who took the lead with 17 minutes gone when Connor Linton lashed in a shot at the near post.

Matters then got worse for Deal soon afterwards when a Snodland breakaway ended with George Kingdon putting the home side 2-0 up.

Hares needed a response from his team before half-time and he got one in emphatic fashion. Macauley Murray started the fightback when he latched on to a loose ball after Jack Penny’s 37th-minute free kick had been saved, and two minutes later Billy Munday equalised with a shot from just outside the box.

Deal then took almost total control in the second half but a combination of some excellent work by the home ‘keeper and a lack of clinical Hoops finishing meant the tie had to go into extra-time.

And four minutes into the second period Howard, who had replaced Charlie Walsh near the end of normal time, chose the perfect moment to grab only his second goal for the club and so send the Hoops through to the next round.

Deal: Tonkin, Reeves, Scott, Foster (Smith 115), O’Brien, Murray, Munday, Chapman, Penny (Cardwell 62), Coyne (Hark 96), Walsh (Howard 82).