Cal Hunter scored the last-minute winner in a game that had everything – with midfielder Paul Foy having saved a penalty earlier in the second half to keep the scores level at 3-3 after replacing dismissed goalkeeper Jack Reynolds.

The result marks four consecutive wins in the NWCFL Premier Division for REMY, who extended their run in the most unlikely circumstances.

It was REMY who opened the scoring against the run of play as Oli Nugent found Nathan Corness on the edge of the box, with the forward expertly dispatching to complete the counterattack after beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner.

Corness doubled his tally for the afternoon after 27 minutes, latching onto skipper Liam Loughlin’s lofted pass and lifting the ball over the keeper clinically.

Carl Grimshaw then pulled one back for the home side, reacting quickly to a loose ball in the box and placing it in the bottom corner.

The Villagers’ continued to dominate the ball but Reynolds was equal to everything, and REMY regained their two-goal cushion just after the half-hour mark as Lance Houghton rose highest to nod in his first goal for the club after an excellent delivery from Will Dunne.

Grimshaw again reduced the deficit to one just minutes into the second half, notching his 22nd of the season as he fired a low drive from the edge of the box which slipped through the fingers of Reynolds.

Spencer Bibby levelled the scoring 5 minutes later, getting on the end of a long ball and rounding the keeper before firing into an empty net.

It was at this point – after six goals in the opening 52 minutes – that the game really came to life.

With 25 minutes left to play, Bibby broke free in the box and knocked the ball past Reynolds who collided with the forward. The referee blew for a penalty, initially brandishing a yellow card before quickly making it a second and sending the keeper off for dissent.

The task of stopping Grimshaw – who has scored 509 goals in a glittering Charnock career – fell to Paul Foy, who had spent the first hour of the game playing in right midfield. Diving to his left, the unlikely hero palmed the ball to safety against all odds to give REMY faint hopes of staying in the game.

Facing a barrage of pressure from Ryan Donnellan’s side, REMY dug their heels in and cleared everything the home side threw at them. With 10 minutes to play, a rare period of respite came and Corness dragged his team up the pitch, committing a defender and drawing a foul in the box to win a penalty.

Dunne stepped up and sent Connor Eastham the wrong way, putting REMY 4-3 ahead when it looked as though the three points had been lost.

Charnock continued to pile everyone forward in search of an equaliser, and despite REMY’s best efforts the ball was eventually bundled in when defender Simon Grand channelled his inner centre-forward to pounce on a rebound and bring the game to 4-4.

Momentum had swung back in the direction of Charnock and they looked most likely to grab a winner as REMY now faced a two-man disadvantage with Dunne sinbinned in the 86th minute.

A string of last-ditch blocks and heroic tackles ensued, with every REMY player doing their part to keep the ball out. Corness again drove up the pitch to relieve pressure on his team – and rather than sprint towards the corner, he looked inside and found Hunter busting a lung to join him in the attack.

Corness found his man and Hunter evaded a desperate challenge from the defender before poking the ball past the onrushing Eastham to make it 5-4, sparking wild scenes of celebration as the REMY players flooded forward to pile onto the goal scorer.

Colin McDonald’s men have now won four in a row and are enjoying their best spell in the NWCFL Premier Division since gaining promotion almost five years ago.