Farnham Town reached the second round proper of the FA Trophy with a penalty shoot-out victory at home to Southern League South Division outfit Bishop’s Cleeve after the two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Town led twice at The Memorial Ground thanks to goals from Ogo Obi and Mat Mackenzie, but the first round proper tie finished level before Farnham prevailed 3-1 on penalties.

The visitors created a good chance in the 13th minute when a clipped ball over the top found Jake Lee, who fired his right-foot shot over the bar.

Town took the lead a minute later when Bobby-Joe Taylor’s superb defence-splitting through ball picked out Obi, who confidently despatched his finish past Bishop’s Cleeve keeper Sam Gilder.

The visitors nearly equalised on 17 minutes when a free kick from the left picked out Lee, whose flicked header goalwards was well held by Town keeper Michael Eacott.

Farnham almost doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute when Obi’s clever pass round the corner picked out Tom Leggett in the box, whose shot was blocked for a corner.

Bishop’s Cleeve won a penalty on 29 minutes when Lee burst into the box and was fouled by Eacott. Toby Holland stepped up from the spot and emphatically fired his 30th-minute penalty straight down the middle into the roof of the net to make it 1-1.

Town nearly regained the lead a minute later when Jack Dean’s volley across goal towards the far bottom left-hand corner forced a smart diving save by Gilder.

Farnham did go back ahead on 35 minutes when Owen Dean did superbly to beat his man on the right-hand side and drove goalwards before playing a pass across goal to the arriving Mackenzie, whose first-time shot had too much power for Gilder and found the back of the net.

Town almost scored a third two minutes later when Obi was found on the left-hand channel and played a pass inside to Taylor, whose left-foot shot was gathered by Gilder at the second attempt.

Farnham had another effort at goal in the 38th minute when Brandon Mason cut inside from the left wing, but his right-foot curler went wide of the far right-hand post.

Town thought they had won a penalty in first-half stoppage time when Harry Cooksley went down under Will Turner’s challenge in the box, but the referee waved away their appeals.

Farnham created the first chance of the second half on 53 minutes when Jack Dean won the ball on the right-hand side and clipped an inviting ball into the box to Obi, who fired his volley over the bar.

Town went close again in the 61st minute when Jack Dean’s backheel found the arriving Mackenzie on the edge of the box, who fired his shot over the bar.

Farnham manager Paul Johnson made his first change of the afternoon a minute later, with Ben Purcell replacing Leggett.

Town had another chance to score a third in the 66th minute when Mackenzie burst into the box and his pullback was cleared to Owen Dean, who fired his shot over the bar from a tight angle. The same duo linked up again a minute later when Owen Dean rolled the ball across the edge of the box to Mackenzie, whose effort flashed over the bar.

Cooksley was next to try his luck for Farnham on 71 minutes when he got the ball on the left-hand side of the box and worked some space before hitting a low shot which was well held by Gilder.

Johnson made his second substitution of the match four minutes later, with Sam Evans replacing Obi.

The visitors got back on level terms in the 77th minute when Lee’s ball over the top found Jay Malshanskyj on the left-hand side of the box and he poked his shot past Eacott to make it 2-2.

Bishop’s Cleeve nearly took the lead on 79 minutes when Holland tried his luck from just outside the box and looked to pick out the bottom right-hand corner, but his shot was parried behind for a corner by Eacott.

Farnham almost scored a late winner in the 88th minute when Mason’s inviting cross into the box from the left found the leaping Mackenzie, whose header clipped the top of the crossbar.

Bishop’s Cleeve almost scored a winner in stoppage time when Holland’s powerful free kick was superbly parried away by Eacott.

There was still time for Farnham to create one more chance when Mason’s superb cross from the left found Mackenzie, whose flicked header went wide of the right-hand post.

Neither side were able to find a winning goal and the tie went to penalties.

Cooksley took Farnham’s first penalty and his effort was superbly saved by a diving Gilder. Lee took Bishop’s Cleeve’s first penalty and his low effort was saved by Eacott.

Evans was up second for Farnham and he picked out the bottom right-hand corner to put Farnham ahead. Curtis Jemmett-Hutson took the visitors’ second penalty and his effort was superbly saved by a diving Eacott.

Jack Dean took Farnham’s third penalty and his effort was clawed away by Gilder. Lewis Spurrier was up next for Bishop’s Cleeve and he sent Eacott the wrong way to make it 1-1 in the shoot-out.

Owen Dean took Town’s fourth penalty and confidently slotted his penalty home to put Farnham back in front. Holland took the visitors’ fourth penalty and his spot kick was superbly saved by a diving Eacott.

Taylor took Farnham’s fifth penalty and sent Gilder the wrong way to book Farnham’s place in the second round proper.

Next up for Farnham is a trip to Havant & Waterlooville in the Southern League Premier South on Wednesday, October 29 (7.45pm kick-off).