GARY Middleton went from hero to zero with another last-gasp goal – this time finding the wrong net to deny Bashley FA Cup victory.

A week after the Bash stalwart had plundered an injury-time winner against Bedworth United, his unfortunate touch handed Gosport Borough an unlikely replay tomorrow after the hosts had spurned several second-half chances on Saturday.

This classic cup clash burst into life with Bash taking the lead after just 50 seconds as debutant Rob Gradwell flicked home Charlie Knight’s cross with his first touch in Bashley colours.

Borough battled back and had the better of the first half, but Bash weathered the storm and should have had the game sewn up after half-time.

Gradwell skied two close-range efforts, James Stokoe and Brad Strickland drew point-blank saves from Nathan Ashmore and Tom Hill side-footed horribly wide with four minutes to go.

The stage was set for a Borough fightback similar to the one that dashed Poole’s play-off hopes in May and when substitute Luke King got a touch on a deep free kick, Middleton nudged the ball inside the far post to leave Bash boss Frank Gray crestfallen.

Gray told the Daily Echo: “We could have put the game to bed three or four times with some good chances in the second half.

We thought we’d held out and it was frustrating to lose a goal so late in the game. Overall, it was possibly a fair result, but with the way the game went, we were disappointed to concede so late.

“Scoring the early goal covered a few things for us because it took 15 to 20 minutes to settle into our shape. After we had scored, they put pressure on us, but after that I felt we settled into the game well and created the better chances.”

New signing Gradwell had a mixed afternoon after his stunning start, but Gray added that there was plenty more to come from the former Basingstoke and Lewes frontman. He said: “Rob has a good grounding in the game but that was his first game for five months, so he was tired.

“He didn’t get to the ground until 2.20pm and didn’t meet the lads until the warm-up, so he settled in and played very well under the circumstances.”

Borough boss Alex Pike felt 1-1 was “probably a fair result”.

He added: “Bashley should have put the game way beyond our reach, but we did exactly the same in the first half ourselves.

“Tremendous defending and some poor finishing allowed us to keep the game tight.”

Bash: Prodomo, Smith, Finlay, Strickland, Middleton, Richardson, Casey, Hill, Stokoe, Gradwell (Lompato-Pires, 88), Knight. Unused subs: Gazzard, Farren, Archbold, Gamble, Kearn (g/k).