Keele University 2 (Barrett 23,47) Stone Dominoes 2 (Thompson 2, Myatt 5)
Staffs County Senior League Division One
Saturday 19th September
Stone Dominoes failed to take the numerous chances they created on Saturday afternoon as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Keele University. Ash Thompson and Joss Myatt had put Dominoes 2-0 up inside five minutes, but a goal either side of half time from Jamie Barrett meant they had to settle for a point. The visitors ended the game with 10 men as Tom Broadhurst saw red late on.
Stone could not have wished for a better start to the game as a long throw in the second minute caused chaos in the Keele penalty area and Joss Myatt poked the ball home from six yards to break the deadlock. The lead was doubled just three minutes later when Jake Hughes received a short corner from Ash Thompson. Hughes returned the ball to an overlapping Thompson, who drove inside before unleashing an effort into the far top corner past the goalkeeper.
It could easily have been 3-0 on the 15 minute mark when Chris Nellis spun his marker eight yards out to get a shot away, but in what was to become a familiar theme during the game, Cianan O’Sulivan in the home goal superbly denied him diving low down to his right. Two minutes later a Jack Steele corner found Myatt unmarked in the centre, but the forward’s header was blocked on the line and diverted away for another corner.
Dominoes could have been forgiven for thinking they were in for a relatively straightforward afternoon, but after 23 minutes the hosts gave a timely reminder that they were still up for the fight. A long ball forward was only half cleared by Ryan Parkes and Jamie Barrett was first to the ball to fire a half volley into the bottom corner to halve the deficit.
The away side looked threatening every time they ventured forward still, and Thompson forced O’Sullivan into another fine save, before the goalkeeper then denied Marcus Thorp from point blank range. Just before the break Jimmy Hazleton thought he had increased Dominoes’ lead as he turned the ball in from a corner, but the goal was chalked off as the assistant’s flag was raised for offside.
A slow start to the second half saw Dominoes concede within two minutes of the restart as a mistake at the back let in Barrett again who made no mistake to bury the ball in the bottom corner for the second time in the game for the leveller. The visitors immediately began to push forward in an attempt to retake the lead, as Endon Adams charged down the right to produce a good cross, with Thompson unable to divert the ball towards goal with enough force.
A few minutes later and Thompson wriggled past the last defender on the edge of the box and managed to get his shot away, only to find the home goalkeeper once more in superb form, saving brilliantly with his right foot. Ash Cooper and Shane Lindop entered the fray on the hour mark, and Cooper nearly put Dominoes ahead again 5 minutes after coming on, as Thompson’s chip released him on goal, O’Sullivan’s right foot once more coming to Keele’s rescue as Cooper was denied.
It was Tom Broadhurst’s turn to go close on 75 minutes when his header from Hazleton’s long throw whistled past the post as the away side pressed for a winner.
With fifteen minutes left Dominoes were incensed, as Keele were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area after an apparent two-footed challenge moments earlier by a home player went unpunished. As players voiced their opinions the referee produced a yellow card – although it was unclear who the caution was directed towards. Seconds later the official again produced the card, followed quickly by the red and ordered Tom Broadhurst off the field, leaving the midfielder in clear shock as to what had just transpired.
Although at a numerical disadvantage, Stone refused to play a defensive role in the proceedings, and still enjoyed the vast majority of possession during the final 15 minutes of the game. A scramble in the box led to Thorp having a second effort of the game blocked well by the goalkeeper, before Cooper and Adams both went close before the referee brought an end to proceedings.
Dominoes take a break from league action for the next two weeks as they host Wolverhampton Sporting Community Under 21s in two separate cup competitions, starting with the President’s Trophy this coming weekend.
[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]Stone Dominoes: Bould (c), E.Adams, Thorp, Parkes, Hazleton, Steele, Broadhurst, Hughes, Nellis (Lindop 60), Myatt (Cooper 60), Thompson; Subs not used: Foyle, Stevenson, James.[/box]
