John Barry Nusum’s match-winning penalty for Robin Hood during the shoot-out against PHC in the FA Cup semi-final would have evoked mixed reactions from his father Johnny, a former Zebras stalwart.

Nusum, the Hood player-coach, picked himself to play alongside Jaylon Bather in the heart of the Hood defence against PHC at Somerset Cricket Club on Tuesday night.

After 120 minutes of goalless action in a match that finished at 12.25am, Nusum ended the stalemate when he converted the night’s twelfth penalty kick to book his team’s second appearance in the final and end PHC’s bid for a clean sweep of all five trophies.

“I knew I was going to play since the last time we played them,” Nusum revealed. “They are a good team and to be honest I figured my experience could help out, especially with Danté Leverock gone [to Estonia]. That’s the biggest miss in our team this season.”

Nusum was calm as he stepped up to score his spot kick against schoolboy goalkeeper Quinaceo Hunt, who saved a kick and then scored one himself to tie it up at 3-3.

Then, after Lejuan Simmons lost his composure to blast over with victory beckoning, Nusum showed his team-mates how to do it, scoring the first sudden-death kick to clinch the win 4-3.

“There was no pressure; it’s just a game,” he stressed. “People talk about pressure but this is still a game I’ve been playing since I was five years old.”

Nusum remembers as a young boy watching his father play towards the end of his career with the Zebras. He did not let sentiment get in the way, however.

“I saw a little bit of him towards the end of his playing days and then when he was with Spinning Wheel,” he said. “PHC is my family’s tradition, but I’ve always been Wolves — a Wolves guy for life.

“PHC were looking to make history and we told our boys before the game that we’re the ones who could have been in their way, but we hadn’t done it yet. There is a whole bunch of history behind it, I know, but I was against them making history on us.”

Scott Morton, the PHC coach, said his team will now look to bounce back by winning a tenth league title and replace Hood as Premier Division champions.

“I don’t believe in jinxes or rivalries, for me it’s the team that comes prepared on the day that will get a positive result,” Morton said.

“We gave everything we could, we knew it was going to be a tough match. Every match we’ve played this season against Hood has been like that and we want that because it makes us a better team.

“We would have loved to stay in contention to win all five trophies, but we’ve still got the league to look forward to and will focus on Devonshire Cougars in our next match. I spoke to the players last night, we’re in the driver’s seat and when you’re driving a car there’s no reason to look behind unless it’s somebody looking to overtake you.

“We don’t worry what’s behind us, we’re just concentrating on getting the job done. A good performance is my priority and hopefully the victory will follow that.”

Morton admitted Cecoy Robinson’s first-half penalty miss could have changed the outcome of the match. However, he recognises the contribution his captain has made to the team this season, including scoring four goals against Hood.

“If that penalty was to happen again tomorrow Cecoy would want to take it again because he’s our penalty taker,” Morton said. “He converts 95 to 99 per cent of his opportunities.

“We have to remember that even when you get a penalty, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to score. You can’t deny the opponent has a goalkeeper and that’s part of his job; that’s what he’s trained to do.

“He [Dale Eve] was a big difference for them, outside of the penalty there were two point-blank saves that he made. It shows he has grown as a player from the professional opportunities that he’s had. I feel good about seeing him with that performance and him being back in the national programme.”

The late finish to the match, after the semi-final between Paget Lions and Southampton Rangers also went into penalties, meant that players and fans witnessed the latest finish to a match this season.

“I don’t have any issues with it, my players don’t have any issues with it,” Morton said. “That’s football, you know the rules of the competition so you know what’s to be expected and to prepare for that accordingly.

“When you have schoolboys in your team like we do then they are going to be up late. If there’s homework then after go straight home after school and get it done and then focus on the match.”