Pagham and Hollands & Blair served up an attritional FA Cup extra preliminary round tie that ended goalless, setting up a replay after 90 minutes of hard-fought, no-nonsense non-league cup football. On a warm August evening, neither side wanted to give an inch, and both left the field with the undeniable sense that this tie is far from over. The 0-0 draw means the two clubs will reconvene at Hollands & Blair's ground to decide who progresses to the next qualifying round.

Defences dominate a tight contest

Pagham, enjoying home advantage, will look back on a game in which they controlled long spells without making their superiority count. The hosts moved the ball effectively through midfield and won a string of corners, but found the Hollands & Blair defensive pairing resolute and well-organised. The visitors, meanwhile, were content to contain, wait for opportunities to spring forward, and rely on their sharp counter-attacking play. It was from such an attack that Hollands & Blair came closest to snatching a first-half lead: a rapid break down the right culminated in a low cross that flashed agonisingly across the face of goal with nobody able to apply the decisive touch.

Pagham raised their tempo after the break and laid siege to the away goal for a ten-minute spell. A thumping effort from the edge of the box was brilliantly beaten away by the goalkeeper, and moments later a close-range header was somehow cleared off the line. As the game entered its closing stages, legs tired and chances became rarer, but the passion never waned. Late tackles flew in, appeals for penalties were waved away, and the final whistle arrived to confirm the replay.

Another chance for cup glory

The FA Cup is famous for these no-quarter-given contests, where the margin between triumph and exit is agonisingly small. Pagham will feel slightly frustrated not to have taken a lead into the replay, but they will also appreciate the resilience shown by a young squad. For Hollands & Blair, the away draw represents a solid result and they will relish the prospect of the second leg on their own turf, where home supporters can provide a considerable boost.

With no away goals to consider, the replay will be a clean slate: 90 minutes to find a winner, or extra time and penalties if necessary. Both clubs will know that every pass, tackle and decision matters even more. The opportunity is undeniable — a win in the replay sends the victors into the next round of the world's most famous domestic cup competition, with the possibility of a plum tie against Football League opposition further down the line.

• Result: Pagham 0, Hollands & Blair 0
• Competition: FA Cup extra preliminary round
• Next step: Replay at Hollands & Blair

A goalless draw may not have provided the fireworks, but it has set the stage beautifully for a replay that promises to be decided by one strike, one save, or one moment of magic. In the FA Cup, nothing is final until the final whistle in the replay.