Match Report v Rushden & Higham

Lge ( H)
Won 3-2
(H/T 1-0)
Moulton welcomed Rushden and Higham in the last home game of the season looking for 3 points to guarantee a play-off place and had the first chance when Justin Mensah broke up play before feeding Nat Ansu but his shot went narrowly wide, and then Andy Hall set up Josh Adams who shot straight at the visitor’s keeper. The Magpies continued to set the pace and a 4 man move ended with Dan White shooting over but on 12 minutes the pressure finally told and when Luca Iaciofano won a corner on the right. Josh Adams swung in the kick JOSH MELLING rose above the Rushden defence and headed in. The visitors were offering little in attack and Moulton should have increased the lead with 28 mins gone when Melling rose highest again from a corner but when the ball dropped Iaciofano headed over from close range. As the half ended Ansu had a decent free kick saved by the visitor’s keeper and then was inches away from converting a cross from White.
HALF TIME MOULTON 1 RUSHDEN AND HIGHAM 0
The Magpies started the second half in top and Ansu should have increased the lead in the first minute but he shot straight at the keeper from close in and then hit the side netting after being set up by Justin Mensah, but with 53 mins gone and against the run of play the visitors equalised. Moulton lost the ball high up the pitch and it eventually fell to Alfie Bowdler on the edge of the box and his shot took a huge deflection and wrong footed Josh Durrant in the home goal. From being a one sided affair the game became more even Mensah had a shot saved by the Higham keeper and then at the other end Durrant saved a header from a corner as the visitors replied. Rushden turned the game on its head on 72 minutes when the home side gave a free kick away 20 yards out and saw Jory Mann strike the free kick into the top corner. The Magpies huffed and puffed but couldn’t get in a telling shot on goal but were handed a life line with 7 minutes left when ANSU was up-ended in the box and he sent the keeper the wrong way with the spot kick to level the scores. This spurred Moulton on and they grabbed a winner 2 minutes into stoppage time. Lewis Isom swung over an in-swinging corner with Melling and White challenging for the ball it eventually popped up to AARON DICKINS at the back post and he headed in from close range, which secured the points required to earn a top 5 place and the end of season lottery .
FINAL SCORE MOULTON 3 RUSHDEN AND HIGHAM 2
TEAM. Durrant, Mason,Dickins,Jackson,Melling, J Mensah, Iaciofano, Hall, Ansu, White, Adams (Isom 75) Subs unused Bell, Martin, Ashman, A Mensah.
ATTENDANCE 76

Editor - Steve Alibone