Sep 16, 2009
Kidsgrove 3 Market Drayton Town 3
In UniBond League terms Kidsgrove must now be regarded as neighbours - and if that means matches with them are local derby duels please lets have more. Soon.
Make no mistake about it, this was a tough contest. Both sides went at each other in a manner suggesting the clubs had been daggers drawn for decades.
Total commitment and cruching tackles left spectators wincing almost as much as the language used by a small contingent of home fans when their side went 2-1 ahead.
As Town had ousted them out of the FA Cup at Greenfields earlier in the month, no one could begrudge them bragging rights at this point in the game.
But if fixtures between the clubs are to prosper this sort of inflammatory behaviour highly, insulting to the women among the crowd, must be curbed.
Fortunately, Town had perhaps the best answer - a last minute goal by Duncan Horler that capped a night of roller-coaster emotions.
The goal tally tells its own story. Town went a goal down, fought back to lead 2-1 and then trailed 3-2 before Horler hammered home his excellent equaliser.
There were some great moments, goals and moves - but amid the thrills and skills, both sides also made blazingly obvious errors.
Town's defence, bedrock of their success so far this season, had a torrid time early on and were caught out when Matthew Hadnell converted lively winger Aiden Matranga's cross in the ninth minute.
The impressive Liam Shotton also struck the bar and rolled a shot just wide before Drayton hit back with two goals in the vital minutes either side of half time.
Horler rose head and shoulders above the pack to power in a fine 42nd minute equaliser and three minutes onto the second half Martyn Davies romped in from the right to give Town a 2-1 lead by clipping a well judged lob shot over the head of Kidsgrove's advancing keeper, Steve Intihar.
For 15 minutes or so, it seemed the points were there for Town's taking. They played their best football of the night and had Kidsgrove rocking.
But two goals from the persistant Shotton suddenly put them on the back foot. On 69 minutes he sorted out a corner kick scramble by firing low past the partially unsighted Andrew Pryce and two minutes later he capped a fine solo run from half way with another well placed shot past Town's keeper-captain.
Game on, as the saying goes. Both sides stepped up the tempo and had their chances in a frenetic finishing spell but it was Horler who enhanced his reputation for grabbing vital Town goals with his late equaliser.
Make no mistake about it, this was a tough contest. Both sides went at each other in a manner suggesting the clubs had been daggers drawn for decades.
Total commitment and cruching tackles left spectators wincing almost as much as the language used by a small contingent of home fans when their side went 2-1 ahead.
As Town had ousted them out of the FA Cup at Greenfields earlier in the month, no one could begrudge them bragging rights at this point in the game.
But if fixtures between the clubs are to prosper this sort of inflammatory behaviour highly, insulting to the women among the crowd, must be curbed.
Fortunately, Town had perhaps the best answer - a last minute goal by Duncan Horler that capped a night of roller-coaster emotions.
The goal tally tells its own story. Town went a goal down, fought back to lead 2-1 and then trailed 3-2 before Horler hammered home his excellent equaliser.
There were some great moments, goals and moves - but amid the thrills and skills, both sides also made blazingly obvious errors.
Town's defence, bedrock of their success so far this season, had a torrid time early on and were caught out when Matthew Hadnell converted lively winger Aiden Matranga's cross in the ninth minute.
The impressive Liam Shotton also struck the bar and rolled a shot just wide before Drayton hit back with two goals in the vital minutes either side of half time.
Horler rose head and shoulders above the pack to power in a fine 42nd minute equaliser and three minutes onto the second half Martyn Davies romped in from the right to give Town a 2-1 lead by clipping a well judged lob shot over the head of Kidsgrove's advancing keeper, Steve Intihar.
For 15 minutes or so, it seemed the points were there for Town's taking. They played their best football of the night and had Kidsgrove rocking.
But two goals from the persistant Shotton suddenly put them on the back foot. On 69 minutes he sorted out a corner kick scramble by firing low past the partially unsighted Andrew Pryce and two minutes later he capped a fine solo run from half way with another well placed shot past Town's keeper-captain.
Game on, as the saying goes. Both sides stepped up the tempo and had their chances in a frenetic finishing spell but it was Horler who enhanced his reputation for grabbing vital Town goals with his late equaliser.
