Holders Concord Rangers progressed to the Essex Senior Cup fourth round after a penalty shoot-out win over League One side Colchester United.

The Beachboys won 4-2 on spot-kicks following a 3-3 draw after 90 minutes, where a brace from skipper Tony Stokes helped them come from 3-1 down to force penalties at the Aspect Arena.

Fittingly, Stokes scored the winning penalty and Steve Cawley, Alex Woodyard and Danny Glozier also netted from the spot.

Sammie Szmodics and Jamie Harney both missed for Colchester in the shoot-out, as the hosts held their nerve to go through.

Colchester started well and went ahead in the 12th-minute.

Macauley Bonne made no mistake from 15 yards, after Dominic Smith had done well to nod a high ball into his path in the box.

But Concord were level on the half hour mark.

After the Beachboys had escaped down the U’s left, Stokes delivered a cross to the far post which James White bundled into the net under pressure from Colchester centre-back Jamie Harney.

Concord went in at the break the happier of the two sides but Colchester started the second half well and almost scored soon after half-time when Dominic Vose’s precise free-kick flashed inches wide of the post.

The U’s did regain their lead 12 minutes after half-time when right-back Tyler Brampton’s attempted cross from the right flew past Concord goalkeeper Joe Wright and into the far corner of the net.

And it was 3-1 just after the hour when Sammie Szmodics side-footed home from close range, after Craig Eastmond had escaped down the Concord right and delivered a low cross.

But Concord responded less than two minutes later through Stokes, who blasted emphatically past Chris Lewington and into the far corner.

Echo:

Tony Stokes got two goals and the winning penalty

And Stokes got it with seven minutes remaining when he composed himself in the area before planting a shot past Lewington, for his second of the game.

Lewington denied Stokes a hat-trick in stoppage-time but the game went to penalties, where Concord prevailed.

CONCORD RANGERS: Wright, Alexander, Glozier, Woodyard, King, Lampe, Ogilvie (sub Cawley, 69), White (sub Gardner, 77), Taaffe (sub Chiedozie, 68), Miles, Stokes.

Substitutes (not used): Walker, Collins.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Lewington, Brampton, Gordon, Harney, Lokko, Eastmond, Szmodics, Bean, Bonne, Vose, Smith.

Substitutes (not used): Curtis, Lapslie, Lawrence, O’Donoghue, Carroll.