Non-league Maidstone United shock Ipswich to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup

Maidstone United harnessed the magic of the FA Cup to stun Championship high fliers Ipswich Town at Portman Road and become the first team from the sixth tier of English football to reach the Fifth Round since Blyth Spartans in 1978.

Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne scored the historic goals for the National League South team but there were heroes all over the place for Maidstone.

Not least goalkeeper Lucas Covolan, who produced a series of incredible saves as Ipswich piled on the pressure in the late stages of the tie and through a nail-biting eight minutes of stoppage time to secure one of the great FA Cup upsets of all time.

Little wonder the scenes of jubilation at the final whistle as popular manager George Elokobi and his players celebrated with 4,500 away fans, and were graciously applauded by thousands of home fans.

Elokbi had started the day by taking his players outside the stadium before the game to address some of those supporters, with a message to enjoy the day.

Maidstone were well aware of the step up in class. They had made their way past opposition from League Two and League One to reach this stage but Ipswich, flying high in the Championship with sights set on a Premier League return, was an altogether different test.

As if to emphasise this point, the home team came out at a ferocious pace, peppering Covolan’s goal with whistling and fizzing shots from all angles. Twice they rattled the woodwork. Sarmiento, on loan from Brighton, hit one post and Omari Hutchinson, on loan from Chelsea, hit the other with a deflected shot.

For Covolan, a Brazil Under-20 international who started his career with Philippe Coutinho in the youth ranks of Vasco da Gama, it might have been like stepping back in time as he protected