Lge (H)
Drew 1-1
(H/T 1-0)
Moulton were back at Brunting Rd with Atherstone Town the visitors in a quick re-match following last Saturdays 3-0 defeat at Sheepy Rd. Due to a number of players un-available or suspended Manager Gary Petts included 3 of the current Under 18 squad in the starting line-up with 2 more on the subs bench.

The Adders were first to show with a couple of half chances one of which went wide and the second fielded easily by Magpies keeper Adam North. The home sides first chance came from a wicked in swinging corner from Lewis Isom but no one could get on the end of it and the ball sailed out for a goal kick. There was little or no goal mouth action, but the home side started to get some control and took the lead after 26 minutes, when Andy Hall was fouled just outside the box and ISOM stepped up to curl his shot around the wall into the far corner. The Magpies continued to have the lion’s share of possession and could have increased the lead minutes before the break, Adam Dicks intercepted a loose pass inside the Adders half before playing debutant Mo Khan in, but his left foot shot lacked power and was saved easily by visiting keeper Lewis Gwilliams.

HALF TIME MOULTON 1 ATHERSTONE TOWN 0

With the first real chance of the second half Atherstone equalised, Dylan Parker only on the pitch as a substitute 2 minutes earlier pulled the ball back for Chris Cowley to find the corner. A game that had been tepid to say the least suddenly burst into life for all the wrong reasons with 66 minutes gone. Cowley turned from hero to villain within 4 minutes of scoring and following a reckless challenge on Justin Mensah he saw a straight Red Card, with the injured party Mensah being replaced by another debutant Munir Amour soon after. The visitors continued to implode with both Referee and Assistant having to get involved with their 5-man backroom team on more than 1 occasion. The sending off had clearly rattled Atherstone and captain Lewis Collins was the next to feel the wrath of the officials and he was sin-binned for 10 minutes for an overzealous conversation with the other assistant referee. Suddenly with 7 minutes left a game of football broke out and substitute Terry Falcini found himself free inside the box, but Gwilliams blocked the goal bound shot with his legs. As the game entered injury time Matty Long swung over a corner and Damian Osoimoeijokhian saw his header at the far post cleared off the line in what was the games last chance. With 4 minutes of injury time played Dylan Parker was the second visiting player to see Red for what appears to have been foul and abusive language. A strange game to watch, very few chances and more action when the ball was out of play than when it was in play.

FINAL SCORE MOULTON 1 ATHERSTONE TOWN 1

TEAM North, Dicks, ( Gbejuade 85), Osoimoejiokhian, Mensah (Amour 71), Stevens, Dye, Khan (Falcini 63) Hall, Long, White, Isom.

SUBS Un-used Amaning, Goodacre