Wilcox kept faith with his trusted starting 11 - the same side that started in the FA Trophy last weekend, while League Two Accrington made three changes to the side that had drawn one all against Tranmere Rovers in midweek.

Trinity looked to come out quickly. And Jordan Helliwell did well to get to the by-line, but visiting keeper Ollie Wright did well to cut out the ball across the face of his goal. Ashley Jackson's throw-in was well dummied by Javelle Clarke, and neat link play with Fraser Preston and Jonny Margetts saw a shooting chance open up for local boy Lewis Butroid. On his weaker foot he bought a ticket - but his effort was deflected behind for a corner to the Holy Blues.

The part-time Blues were defending solidly, putting bodies on the line and Aaron Simpson had to receive treatment after a brave header away under pressure, Trinity having to wait what seemed like an age to get the full back back onto the pitch.

Midway through the half, the visitors did find the breakthrough, though in seemingly controversial fashion, when ex-Scunthorpe United forward Paddy Madden poked home at the back post. To the naked eye he looked offside - and subsequent video footage backed up that initial viewpoint. But there is no VAR at this stage of the competition and the visitors had their noses in front with 29 minutes gone. Incensed, David Robson found himself booked for his protests.

Trinity looked for a response, Ash Jackson looking to deliver the ammunition from the left hand side with a string of balls into the box from both hand and foot. They were asking questions of Accrington. But the visitors were standing firm. Nine minutes from the interval, Isaac Heath twisted and turned on the edge of the box, before dragging his shot past Robson's left hand upright.

Half Time: Gainsborough Trinity 0 Accrington Stanley 1

Bravely, Wilcox changed the shape of his side at the break, replacing Fraser Preston with Frank Mulhern - and 'The Tank' nearly had an immediate impact. Straight away he was involved, unsettling the experienced central defenders with his bullish approach play As Trinity looked for a way back into the game, to a backdrop of fireworks lighting up the Kal Group Stadium, Robson had to be alert, gathering safely on his line after a driving Madden run.

Twice in a minute, the half-time substitute went close for Gainsborough. First, his diving header was turned away by Wright, before seeing his controlled effort from Beeden's recycled ball into the box squeeze through a packed penalty area, agonisingly missing the far corner of Wright's goal with the keeper motionless. Five minutes later, 38-year-old Shaun Whalley looked to cut in off the left hand side before curling a low right footed effort towards goal, kissing the outside of the post to serve as a warning to the Holy Blues.

Clarke was becoming increasingly frustrated, finding himself on the end of a number of strong challenges but not getting the decisions he or the passionate home support craved. And with that, Wilcox changed things up, replacing Clarke with Sisa Tuntulwana for the final 25 minutes of normal time.

The change lifted the crowd and Tuntulwana quickly made himself a yard of room, whipping in a great ball from the right. It found Margetts and Gainsborough's top scorer looked for the knockdown - but there was no one in blue close enough to profit.

Beeden continued to be a solid man mountain at the back and was on hand to block the Accrington attacks. And with skipper Bobby Johnson patrolling just in front of the back line, opportunities were being kept to a minimum. And Tuntulwana looked to spin and drive the Holy Blues forward, he was stopped in his tracks, illegally in the view of the referee. But from that, the home side levelled the game on 76 minutes. From 10-15 yards in front of the Carlisle Street touchline, Lewis Butroid waited for the whistle and swung in a superb ball right into the area of uncertainty, and Tuntulwana, the former Grantham and Boston Town player, rose fearlessly to guide the ball into the net and raise the roof.

Whalley immediately looked to swing the game back in Accrington's favour, twice going to ground in quick succession. First, he tried to win a penalty before then winning a free kick 20 yards or so from goal. The clever former Southport and Telford winger, in his third spell with the visitors, flighted the free kick up and over the wall, but into the grateful grasp of Robson. Mulhern did well to set away Tuntulwana, who played the expansive first time ball from right to left, picking out Margetts, who had peeled away. Following a coming together, the decision came down in favour of the visiting centre back and the Stanley fans gathered at the far end could breathe a huge sigh of relief

Tuntulwana looked to get away again, but a strong, crunching channel went unpunished, before Mulhern and Johnson quickly found themselves in the notebook. Madden then forced a good save out of Robson - but the flag was up in any case. As the game ticked into stoppage time, the visitors looked for a conclusion to the game in regulation time, forcing half a dozen corners in quick succession. But Trinity were resilient, taking the game to an additional half an hour.

Full Time: Gainsborough Trinity 1 Accrington Stanley 1

However, just five minutes into extra time, Accrington retook the lead through substitute Charlie Caton who steered home from 10 yards home from Madden's pass across the box. Beeden remained strong at the back for the Blues snuffing out danger. As decisions seemed to favour the higher-ranked outfit, plucky Gainsborough continued to fight, and Madden dragged wide of the near post, before Robson was swiftly off his line, swooping bravely to smother at the feet of the onrushing attacker.

In added time at the end of the first half of added time, skipper Johnson let fly with a thunderous effort like that of Will Lancaster at Hednesford. His missile looked destined for the back of Wright's net from the moment it left Bobby's right foot - but struck an unsuspecting Margetts. Half Time of Extra Time: 1-2 Madden was again wasteful, blazing over when well placed, before Adam Crookes defended the Trinity six yard box well.

Lancaster, released from his defensive duties, then went on a mazy run down the right. Ghosting inside the full back and getting to the by line, he got his head up and picked out Jacob McLoughlin. But, leaning back, McLoughlin snatched at the chance and didn't manage to work Wright.

The Accrington defence were at sixes and sevens, but got the moment of fortune that had escaped the Blues, the ball just not falling kindly for Tuntulwana as it got stuck between the makeshift forward, keeper and last man. In the last minute of extra time, George Hornshaw almost wrote himself into Gainsborough legend akin to King Canute. The ball dropped for Hornshaw and he wound up for the effort. Doing brilliantly to keep his strike low, he drilled the ball inches past the upright and past three Trinity players who just couldn't get the telling touch that surely would have taken the game to penalties.

It was another truly remarkable night, this time under the Norrholme lights at the Kal Group Stadium. It wasn't quite meant to be in front of the watching nation, but the Holy Blues had given a tremendous account of themselves and done the town proud. Hold your heads high Blues. You've pushed a Football League side all the way! 

Report by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Images by Tommy Cox