Knockout specialists Hastings went through to the semi-final with a 4-3 home win over leaders Whitehawk, despite being 20 places below them in the table.
Zac Attwood, player-manager Sean Ray and Brad Goldberg gave Hastings a 3-0 half-time lead and, after Jerahl Hughes pulled one back, Goldberg struck again to make it 4-1 with 20 minutes to go.
Hawks had beaten Canvey 5-4 from an equally unpromising position ten days earlier but tonight they left their comeback too late. Josh Jones pulled one back in the 88th minute and it was three minutes into added time when Hakeem Araba scored their third.
Second-placed Wealdstone were beaten 1-0 at Dulwich in their delayed fourth-round tie, compensating Dulwich for losing the Ryman South leadership to Maidstone. Ryan James scored the only goal after 49 minutes. Dulwich now meet Kingstonian in the quarter-finals.
The other quarter-final played tonight produced a goalless draw between Thamesmead and Thurrock, and it was Ryman North play-off contenders Thamesmead who went through, beating the Premier strugglers 4-2 on penalties.
The quarter-final between Concord and Wroxham was postponed.
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