CHRIS SMITH smashed the ball into the top of the net to send Stanbury Park Rangers into the fourth round of the West Riding FA Sunday Cup.

Smith blasted home his extra-time sizzler from 20 yards to grab victory after a nail-biting encounter with Harrogate Catholic club.

Two previous attempts to play the game had been thwarted by frost and a flooded pitch, and the 'Bronte' side found the going tough in the early stages of Sunday's game. The Harrogate outfit produced a string of crisp passing movements and their speedy forwards put Stanbury under pressure from the start.

Some positional reorganisation and determined defending saw Stanbury gradually get to grips with the opposition and take control of the game. Their reward came in the 25th minute when Dave Bainbridge slotting in a firm angled shot after good approach work from skipper Simon Thompson.

The advantage was surrendered two minutes into the second half when Harrogate caught the home side asleep and equalised with a simple long throw and tap-in at the near post. Both sides pressed for a winner and Bainbridge almost sealed the game for Rangers with a crashing 25-yard free-kick which ricocheted off both posts with the Harrogate keeper stranded on his line.

But it was the visitors who finished the strongest and Stanbury were thankful of some heroic defending particularly from Jason Lockely and keeper Grahame Ellis who kept them in the game.

But is was Smith who had the last word with his superb shot to send his jubilant side into the hat for the next round.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.