This season’s journey in the FA Cup continued with a trip along the M62 to play Warrington Rylands, at a stage of the competition Thackley had last reached in 2015. It would be the first ever meeting between the Northern Premier League Premier Division club and Thackley. Rylands had not had the best start to the season, having won just one of their opening six games, which meant an upset could be on the cards. Thackley started with the eleven that had finished Tuesday’s game against Golcar, Nathan Hunt coming in for Tawheed Ahmed from the eleven that started.

It was a first half of few chances but entertaining all the same, both sides looking to play a certain amount of football. Thackley tended to play out from the back, then play long to get their wide men away. Rylands utilised a similar style but when their wide men got the ball, they crossed it, looking for their big striker Ntumba Massanka. Neither side managed to test the keeper, however, there were a couple of half chances and bookings. Massanka had a glancing header go wide early on before the home side won the first corner of the game on twenty minutes. Thackley were holding their own in midfield but found it difficult to break into the danger area, both defences were holding firm. Both sides had players booked before the break, Luke Rhodes for a pull back and Massanka for preventing Thackley taking a quick free kick. Rhodes was involved in another challenge just before the break but escape with just a word from the referee. The teams went in at half time without really troubling the opposing keeper.

Half time: Warrington Rylands 0 Thackley 0.

It was the home side that started the second half the better. Joe Mitchell picked up a yellow card for a challenge before Thackley survived a short period of pressure. It followed a corner and culminated in Liam Hudson clearing the ball off of the line. Just before the hour, Thackley created the best chance of the game so far. Ben Grech-Brooksbank getting to Josi Bradshaw’s cross inside the box, but his shot went wide of the post. Both teams were looking for the breakthrough, Jake Burton sliding the ball wide after getting to a cross and a Bradshaw shot which was saved by Luke Pilling. Thackley made their first change, Tawheed Ahmed coming on for Bradshaw. Pilling had to make a save to stop Lewis Sugden’s shot following Thackley’s trade mark training ground corner routine, before limping off to be replaced by Will Morrissey. With just over ten minutes of normal time remaining, Rylands took the lead, Dylan Dwyer getting clear down the left and firing past Luke Wilson. Thackley made a triple substation, bringing on fresh legs. Edson Prata, Mummahet Kektas and Jake Holcombe coming on for Finn Donovan, Joe Mitchell and Nathan Hunt. A couple of minutes later, a last gasp tackle from Hudson saved any further score, before he picked up a harsh booking for what looked like a perfectly good tackle. Thackley’s hopes of forcing a replay evaporated with four minutes of normal time remaining. Mark Everingham's frustration showing when the referee’s assistant gave an obvious Thackley throw in to the home side and he was sent off. Rylands capitalised on this and scored three goals in the seven minutes of time added on. Luke Porter with the first and Jake Burton with the other two. The final score was not a true reflection of the game.

Full time: Warrington Rylands 4 Thackley 0.

Thackley matched their higher level opponents for much of the game. Up to the goal, it looked very much like it would end goalless, with a replay at Dennyfield on the cards. The Thackley players worked tirelessly throughout the game and for the first eighty minutes deserved something from it.

For Thackley, the national cup runs are over for another season, it is back to league action on Tuesday night when they make the away trip to Goole.

Warrington Rylands team: Pilling; Smith; Dwyer; Neild ©; Regan; Amaral; Burns; Morris; Massanka; Hough; Burton. Subs: Hardcastle; Hurst; Thompson; Porter; Rooney; Furman.

Thackley team: Wilson; Rhodes; Everingham; Sugden (Morrissey 73 mins); Hudson; Parsons; Donovan (Prata 84 mins); Mitchell (Tektas 84 mins); Bradshaw (Ahmed 69 mins); Grech-Brooksbank ©; Hunt (Holcombe 84 mins). Unused subs: Gardner; Forrester.

Warrington Rylands scorers: Dylan Dwyer 79 mins; Luke Porter 90 mins; Jake Burton 93 and 94 mins).

Attendance: 171

Referee: Tom Wall.