Ex-Arsenal goalkeeper James Shea was the Harrow Borough hero after he made three penalty saves during their local derby with Wealdstone.

Shea had gifted the Stones a first-half equaliser during Tuesday night’s Ryman League Cup match.

But the 22-year-old, who joined Harrow at the beginning of November after being released by the Gunners in the summer, made amends as he saved three spot kicks in the dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Wealdstone underperformed, with the suggestion they were taking the cup tie lightly due to their clash with promotion-rivals Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.

Harrow were the better side for most of Tuesday night’s contest and should have taken the lead early on when Shaun Lucien’s free-kick appeared to cross the line after rebounding off the crossbar.

The visitors to Grosvenor Vale did go ahead just after the quarter-hour mark when James Fray slipped the ball underneath the on-rushing Aldi Haxhia.

The lead only lasted three minutes though as Shea punched a cross from the left into his own net after a challenge by Stefan Bailey.

Fray tapped in his second goal with just over half an hour on the clock to allow Harrow to regain their deserved advantage.

Boro should have gone into the break with an enhanced lead after Haxhia brought down Robert Hastings in the box for the first of the game’s many penalties, but the former Chelsea youth goalkeeper saved to deny Fray a hat-trick.

Wealdstone started the second period well, with Peter Dean heading against the crossbar, but their hopes of securing victory were damaged when Mark Bentley was sent off for a two-footed lunge.

Harrow had a couple of excellent chances to cement the win in normal time through Hastings, Michael Peacock and Lucien.

And their failure to be clinical was punished with one minute remaining when Adam Louth bundled over Chris Moore and Sean Cronin struck a powerful penalty past Shea.

There was no extra-time in the tie so the match went straight to penalties.

Harrow’s Shea denied Adam Martin but a miss from Lucien and Danny Leech’s saved effort gave the Stones the chance to win it.

But Shea again saved, this time from Moore, and when Haxhia couldn’t stop Hastings’ shot, the Harrow goalkeeper saved Reece Grant’s effort to ensure his side’s progression.

This was 24 hours after Shea had also played 45 minutes for a Football Association XI against the Royal Engineers at Maidstone United to celebrate the FA’s 150th Anniversary.

Mid-table Boro welcome sixth-place Bognor Regis Town on Saturday and the Stones, who are third, travel to Dulwich in fifth.