Hungerford Town will have to do it all again on Tuesday night after being held to a draw by Wokingham Town in a fiercely contested FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at Bulpit Lane.

The Crusaders enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout the first half but found chances at a premium against a well-organised Wokingham defence. Their best opening came from a Nana Owusu corner, with Ackeem Stewart rising highest only to glance his header narrowly wide of the target.

Despite Hungerford's control, it was the visitors who struck first on the half-hour mark. Kieran Dowding broke clear and calmly rolled the ball past Ryan Clarke to give Wokingham the advantage.

Hungerford responded positively and almost levelled moments later when Brad Smith's free-kick was expertly tipped away by Jake Simpson. The home side were then left incensed just before the interval when Fraser Bell appeared to be brought down inside the area, only for appeals for a penalty to be waved away much to the frustration of the Bulpit Lane faithful.

The Crusaders came out for the second half determined to respond and did exactly that within minutes of the restart. The lively Brad Smith produced a superb strike from 25 yards that flew beyond Simpson and into the net to bring Hungerford deservedly level.

Danny Robinson’s side thought they had completed the turnaround on the hour mark when Stewart's long throw caused chaos in the penalty area and Simpson turned the ball into his own net. However, celebrations were cut short as the referee ruled a foul on the goalkeeper, a decision that appeared harsh from the stands.

Hungerford continued to press for a winner and came agonisingly close with ten minutes remaining. Nana Owusu's excellent delivery found Jordan Rose, whose effort crashed against the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

There was still time for late drama at the other end as Wokingham also struck the woodwork deep into stoppage time, ensuring honours remained even after 90 minutes.

With neither side able to find a decisive breakthrough, attention now turns to Tuesday night's replay at Wokingham, where a place in the next round will be up for grabs.

Team : Clarke, Bell, Chard (Wright), Rose, Franklin, Stallard, Kamden-Fotsu(O Smith) Clark, B Smith (Alston), Owusu (Tanner), Stewart
Subs Not used : Braidwood, Bucknell
Star Player : Ben Stallard
Attendance : 348