Harrogate Town 4 Skelmersdale United 1: Calvin Miller gets his goal wish as FA Cup upset is avoided

The former Glasgow Celtic winger scored after just 46 seconds, helping the League Two Sulphurites ensure that they avoided a potential banana skin in front of live BT Sport cameras.

Visiting Skelmersdale play their football in the North West Counties Premier Division, making them the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, but their hopes of causing an upset were dented by the re-called Miller inside the opening minute.

"I definitely felt I had that in me tonight, to grab a goal, I've been dying for one to be honest, so it was good to get it so early," the 22-year-old told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"It's been my aim this season to get myself in the box a lot more and I was there and luckily enough the ball has come back to me and I've just put my laces through it and it went in. I'm happy.

"I got rested the last two games and came back with fresh legs. I feel like the rest was beneficial and maybe that's why I've got the goal tonight.

"I felt good and it's always good to be on television, it gives you a wee bit of extra adrenaline to go out and impress all the people watching, plus we got the win, so it's been a good night."

Although Harrogate will undoubtedly have fancied their chances of winning Friday's tie, they couldn't have dreamed of making a better start.

Skelmersdale failed to deal with Warren Burrell's cross from the right and the ball eventually broke to Mark Beck, whose strike rebounded off the far post and into the path of Miller.

The ex-Scotland under-21 international rammed an instinctive effort straight down the throat of the scrambling Ben Barnes, though the visiting gloveman could only help the ball into his own net.

The chance to deliver an immediate riposte fell to Skem's Mini Adegbenro within 60 seconds, but he was off target with a strike from the edge of the box.

The moments that followed suggested that the night was going to be a long one for the visitors as Tom Walker drifted in off the right all too easily and drew a diving stop out of Barnes from range, before Kevin Lokko headed the resulting corner just over the cross-bar.

But, the visitors quickly re-grouped and held their own for the majority of the rest of the opening period as Town failed to build on their flying start.

Joe Herbert's mistake would eventually let Jack Muldoon in on goal shortly before half-time, Barnes having to come to his side's rescue with a decent one-on-one save.

Two minutes into stoppage-time the Skem goalkeeper was however beaten for a second time, Beck rising to glance home a header from Walker's inviting right-wing free-kick.

That goal was harsh on the Lancastrians, though they didn't let their heads drop and continued to compete in the second period.

Town winger Walker saw a sweetly-struck drive tipped over by Barnes a minute after the resumption, before United striker Danny Mitchley got free at the other end and curled a decent opportunity wide of the mark.

Harrogate then went on to take full control of proceedings, ending the game as a contest on 68 minutes when George Thomson delivered a free-kick from the right that Jake Lawlor was able to force home from close range with the aid of a deflection.

Minutes later, Brendan Kiernan got in behind down the right flank and crossed for fellow substitute Aaron Martin, who struck the bar before Beck's follow-up header was cleared off the goal-line.

Martin would however make no mistake in the 73rd minute, powering an excellent downward header past Barnes from Josh Falkingham's centre.

Lokko almost added a fifth late on, rattling the upright from Thomson's pull-back, before Skem grabbed a consolation, Mitchley crashing home what was the best goal of the evening on the volley.

Harrogate Town: Cracknell; Burrell, Lawlor, Lokko, Jones; Walker (Kiernan 63), Falkingham, Kirby, Miller (Thomson 63); Muldoon (Martin 69), Beck. Unused substitutes: Belshaw, Stead, Kerry, Hall.

Skelmersdale United: Barnes; Griffiths, Murphy, Herbert, Preston; Grimshaw (Ellis 74), Peet (Webb 69), Grogan, Ellams, Adegbenro (Brodie 74); Mitchley. Unused substitutes: Glennon, Croughan, Wainwright, Davies.

Referee: R Madley (West Yorkshire).