PHIL Parkinson was celebrating a double breakthrough after Altrincham booked their place in the next round of the FA Cup and added versatile defender Joel Bembo-Leta to their injury-depleted squad at The J Davidson Stadium on Tuesday night.

After surrendering a 3-0 first-half lead and being pegged back to 3-3 at Abbey Hey on Saturday, Alty finally saw off their Hallmark Security League opponents with two goals from flying winger John Johnston in a 2-1 replay win.

And shortly after the final whistle, Parkinson delivered on his promise to counter the effects of a growing injury crisis by signing Bemba-Leta, who featured as a trialist in pre-season games against Stockport and Winsford.

“Joel is equally comfortable at right-back or in the centre of defence but can also play centre-forward, as he showed by scoring a good few goals for Buxton last season,” said the Alty boss.

“Everyone knows the injuries we’ve had, particularly at full-back, so his arrival will give us the extra strength in depth we need.

“Full credit to Abbey Hey for working their socks off again, just as they did on Saturday, but our boys have done a professional job to make it five games unbeaten, and it is all positive for me. John Johnston has got everything you want from a winger, and you can see his confidence levels are high.

“His end product was a lot better when he got to the by-line, he took his goals exceptionally well and looked a threat all night.

“We should have had more goals, five or six really, and I was disappointed with that, but their keeper was absolutely outstanding.

“They have a special lad on their hands there.”

Alty’s reward is a trip to Shildon in the next round, a week on Saturday, by which time they will have clocked up about 750 miles on the road in the space of seven days.

The Robins go to Barwell on Saturday, then Workington on Tuesday before heading to the north east.