Hornchurch sealed a 3-0 penalty shoot-out victory over National League side King's Lynn Town following a 1-1 draw in normal time to progress into the last 16 of the FA Trophy.

Kairo Mitchell opened the scoring but Liam Nash levelled the score early in the second-half to take the game to penalties at Bridge Avenue.

The first chance of the contest fell to the visitors as they were awarded a free-kick from distance when Sonny Carey was brought down which saw Dayle Southwell step up and curl his attempt over the crossbar in the fourth minute of play.

Two minutes later the hosts had a good chance of their own as some good link-up play saw the ball get out to the left flank where Ronnie Winn cut it back for target man Sam Higgins who side-footed the ball over the net.

Hornchurch started to amount some pressure with Sam Higgins and Remi Sutton both going just wide of the target in the minutes that followed.

In the 15th minute former Chelmsford City front-man Higgins struck another effort goal bound which was pushed behind by Town goalkeeper Archie Mair which led to a corner which was swung in by Liam Nash but pushed behind once again where they failed to create anything second time around.

Romford Recorder: Sam Higgins of Hornchurch and Tai Fleming of Kings Lynn during Hornchurch vs King's Lynn Town, Buildbase FA Trophy Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 16th January 2021Sam Higgins of Hornchurch and Tai Fleming of Kings Lynn during Hornchurch vs King's Lynn Town, Buildbase FA Trophy Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 16th January 2021 (Image: ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

King’s Lynn Town opened the scoring against the run of play four minutes later as Kairo Mitchell was picked out in the six-yard box by Sonny Carey where he nodded back across the goal and into the bottom left corner past shot-stopper Joe Wright.

In the 29th minute of play the visitors were awarded a free-kick which saw Michael Clunan hit the side-netting after an Ellis Brown foul.

A minute later Hornchurch had the ball in the back of the net to level the score but it was flagged down for offside despite hitting a Town player on the way over to the back post where it was slotted home.

On the stroke of half-time Hornchurch left-back Remi Sutton cut inside to win the ball and raced up the middle of the pitch before striking the ball which took a deflection before being held by Archie Mair.

Hornchurch levelled the score in the 52nd minute as Liam Nash half-volleyed an Ellis Brown cross into the net after the wide-man beat Alexander Brown for pace.

Both sides had a few chances of their own but the biggest one came in the 70th minute when Higgins headed a long throw from Joe Christou just wide of the target.

Fives minutes later Urchins goalkeeper Joe Wright had to pull off a superb save to deny a Michael Gash header as he was picked out from a corner.

Romford Recorder: Kairo Mitchell of Kings Lynn and Remi Sutton of Hornchurch during Hornchurch vs King's Lynn Town, Buildbase FA Trophy Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 16th January 2021Kairo Mitchell of Kings Lynn and Remi Sutton of Hornchurch during Hornchurch vs King's Lynn Town, Buildbase FA Trophy Football at Hornchurch Stadium on 16th January 2021 (Image: ©TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

Hornchurch left-back Remi Sutton was brought down by Carey to win a free-kick, the ball was pumped forward, where Higgins was pushed down by McAuley who was given a second yellow card which saw the Linnets reduced to 10-men for the final few minutes.

The match went to a penalty shoot-out where goalkeeper Joe Wright denied three penalties to seal a 3-0 win in the shoot-out.

Hornchurch: Wright, Brown, Hayles, Clark, Sutton, Muldoon, Christou, R.Winn (Spence 71), Ruff (Stimson 77), Nash, Higgins.

Unused subs: Thackway and Hassan.

King’s Lynn Town: Mair, Brown, Callan-McFadden, McAuley, Clunan (Gash 65), Jarvis, Fleming, Kelly, Mitchell (Marriott 65), Southwell (King 65), Carey.

Unused subs: Smith, Richards, Barrows, Kiwomya.