Bromsgrove Sporting were forced to settle for a point against third placed Atherstone Town after the away side equalised with a superb curling free-kick late in the game at the Victoria Ground.
Sporting though had the better chances and twice took the lead but they failed to hold on due to careless challenges.
The home side's Andy Nicol had the first real chance of the game after his shot inside the box was parried just around the post for a corner.
Sporting continued the pressure and should have taken the lead on 17 minutes after Elliot Nash fired the ball towards the far top corner of the goal, though the powerful shot was just over.
Lawrence O'Neill created the first chance for Atherstone but the effort failed to hit the target after they suffered the set-back of having defender Stephen Sadler stretchered off with a knee injury.
Bromsgrove's pressure did eventually pay off. They took the lead after Chris Morrison reacted and headed the ball into an open net after a failed clearance from Atherstone 'keeper Robert Dolman. Atherstone equalised on 40 minutes when O'Neill was brought down just inside the box by Matt Ross. Ashley Wilks converted the resulting penalty.
The Bromsgrove side had one last chance in the first half to take the lead but a fantastic save from Robert Dolman denied them.
The second half was more of a cagey affair with possession being fairly equal. Bromsgrove started the better side after they took the lead 5 minutes from the re-start. Andy Nicol's shot on the far side of the goal rocketed across Robert Dolman into the top corner. The away side cancelled that out through Chris Sockett's stunning free kick on 79 minutes when the captain stepped up and curled a superb kick over the wall that dipped into the top corner of the net to equalise for a second time.
Sporting had one final chance late on but their effort hit the woodwork. Earlier Tom Savage in the Sporting goal with a candidate for "Save of the Season" stopped a certain goal from David Yonwin with a one-handed save.
Bromsgrove's joint manager Graham Scott was disappointed with not taking all three points but thought that a draw was a fair result from the game. His team remain top of the league though others around them have several games in hand.
Sporting: Tom Savage, Aaron Roberts, Jamie Parker, Matt Ross, Chris Gleadow (Nick Martin 86 mins), Nick Harris (capt), Elliot Nash, James Turk (Luke Dugmore 82 mins), Chris Morrison (Jon Rogers 76 mins), Andy Nicol, Keith J Draper.
Subs not used: Jack Lodge, Adam Humphries.
Atherstone: Robert Dolman, Darren Eggleton, Stephen Sadler (Joe Boggild 24 mins), Chris Charles, Matthew Selvestier, Richard Allen, Lawrence O'Neill, Chris Sockett (capt), David Yonwin (Gregg Webb 73 mins), Ashley Wilks, Ben Ashby.
Subs not used: Dean Johnson, Ian Kimberley, Steve Olanipekun. |