Nuneaton Borough goalscorer Gez Murphy says he felt no pressure despite the potentially suffocating responsibility of taking a penalty kick worth £250,000.

Murphy converted an 89th-minute spot kick to earn the Nationwide North minnows a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough and earn a money-spinning replay at the Riverside Stadium a week tomorrow.

Some of his team-mates could barely sneak a look behind their praying hands but Murphy despatched the kick with consummate coolness.

He said: "It seemed to take an age for me to get the ball after the penalty was awarded. I never really thought it might be worth £250,000. I'm glad I didn't otherwise I would have missed it.

"I didn't feel any pressure. I just thought 'this is the opportunity to get us level, take a breath, and put it into the net'.

"I've been blasting them down the middle of the goal for the majority of the season but I took a penalty against Barrow and placed it. I thought I'd better not change it."

Murphy, a 29-year-old sports development officer with Coventry City Council, bagged Gareth Southgate's

shirt at the final whistle. He said: "The lads have done unbelievably well and I don't think Middlesbrough would begrudge us a replay at the Riverside.

"To pit your wits against Gareth Southgate, who is probably regarded as one of the best centre-halves in the Premiership and a former England international, is amazing. I just made sure I was standing at arm's reach of him when the final whistle went.

"I could see 1,000 Boro fans running on to the pitch about to mob us so I said 'can I have your shirt'. He said 'Of course, you can. See you at the Riverside'. He certainly will."

It was undoubtedly the biggest day in the lives of every Boro player but it was also a day of redemption for left-back Micky Love.

Love was one of the few Nuneaton players with such big-game experience but it was a bitter-sweet one. He was a Stevenage Borough player when they played Newcastle United in a 1998 fourth-round tie but his mis-take led to an Alan Shearer goal and then he departed from the action with a broken foot and missed the replay.

"This is absolutely brilliant," he said. "I never thought I would get a second bite of the cherry. Words can't describe what has happened."

Borough manager Roger Ashby saluted his side's fitness as well as their strength of approach and purpose.

He said: "I told the players in the team-talk at the hotel before the game that we must not have any fear factor out there. If you stand and admire them they will play the ball around you.

"What pleased me more than anything was that we went out there and competed and we also played our football. Nobody could complain and say we didn't deserve to go and play them again at the Riverside.

"I've had 40 years in the game and played at Wembley in the FA Trophy final and won cups and leagues over the years but it doesn't get any better than this."