Ralph rises from despair to inspire a dream

When Andy Ralph was released by Tranmere Rovers from his YTS apprenticeship this summer, FA Cup glory was the last thing on his mind.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper was left with his dream of a professional career in football seemingly in ruins. Ralph ended up working with his brother as a welder, a job he still does while playing for UniBond League side, Vauxhall Motors. But he is now dreaming of making it in football again after his shoot-out save helped ensure Vauxhall's shock 4-3 FA Cup victory on penalties over Second Division Queen's Park Rangers in a first-round replay at Loftus Road on Tuesday.

He said: "When Tranmere let me go I didn't ever think I would be involved in the FA Cup again. I soon found out it wasn't that easy to find another league club. The UniBond League was the best level I could find and that doesn't pay the bills.

"I work with my brother learning to weld and to drive a fork-lift truck. But I might have opened a few doors for myself now. If we beat Macclesfield in the next round we could get Manchester United."

For a teenager with no experience of playing to big crowds, he showed remarkable composure in saving Paul Furlong's opening penalty at the home end in front of a 5,336 crowd on Tuesday. He will never forget the feeling when Karl Connolly put his decisive spot-kick wide after the UniBond League side had scored four out of four. He said: "It was a fantastic night for me. It was the biggest stadium, the biggest crowd, the biggest game I've played in all rolled into one.

"I knew where he [Furlong] was going to go because he went that way on his last penalty and missed. I researched it in the papers. I'm glad I saved it – it killed them, really."

Ralph had little time to celebrate a memorable victory. His side spent only half an hour basking in the limelight before boarding their coach for the long trip back to the Wirral. After three hours' sleep he was up at seven o'clock yesterday to join his brother at work. Such is life in non-League football.

Vauxhall Motors have never been past the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup before, but their manager, Alvin McDonald, is dreaming of the final in Cardiff on 17 May. A striker for non-League South Liverpool in his playing days, the 52-year-old has led his new club to three promotions in five years and they how harbour hopes of a place in the Nationwide Conference.

McDonald, whose greatest footballing achievement was to win the Carlsberg Pub and Club Cup final at Wembley with Poulton Victoria before taking over at Motors, said: "I've won at Wembley and it would be a dream to get to Cardiff. You have to have dreams to keep you going – beating QPR was a dream, and that came true.

"We've been drawn against Macclesfield in the Cheshire Senior Cup three years running so we know the ground and we won't be intimidated."