Tadcaster Albion's stand-in goalkeeper Dan Thirkell praised following FA Cup win over Seaham Red Star

The Brewers captain, who usually plays in defence or the centre of midfield, was forced to play between the sticks for more than 70 minutes after regular stopper Sam Green was sent off for a professional foul midway through the first half.

Albion took the lead shortly afterwards through James Knowles’ brave header from a Luca Bolino, then Seaham were themselves reduced to 10 men before Elliot Andrew converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-0.

Alfie Dean struck late on to wrap things up for Taddy, and although Thirkell was relatively untroubled for the most part, his manager appreciated his offer to do a job for the team with no substitute goalkeeper on the bench.

"He’s an honest lad and he’s come across and said ‘I’ll go in goal’,” O’Connell explained.

"No one else was putting their hand up and he has said “give me the gloves, I’ll go in’, and that’s what you want from your captain.

“When your backs are against the wall, when you’re in a situation like that, you want your captain and your leaders to stand up and I thought that him and Knowlesy were tremendous.”

On the incident which led to Green being dismissed for bringing down Liam Wright as he ran through on the home goal, O’Connell said: “I thought that we were in full control of the game until Sam got sent off. I’ll have to watch it back, but it looks like their player was going away from goal.

"But, it is what it is and we’ve gone on and scored after it, whereas last season we’d probably have felt sorry for ourselves and crumbled.”