Lge (A)
Lost 1-2
(H/T 1-1)
Moulton’s chances of making the UCL Premier South Play-offs took a major blow at Daventry as a last-minute winner for the hosts condemned them to a 2-1 defeat.

It started brightly for the Magpies, and they could have taken the lead after only 2 minutes, when a long clearance from Adam North put Lewis Isom in the clear but he delayed his attempt on goal and the chance was lost. The game certainly wasn’t one for the purist, Moulton did try to play some football, but the hosts spent much of the first 30 minutes hoofing the ball as far as possible and whining at the referee at every opportunity. The visitors were unlucky not to take the lead just after the half hour mark, Ed Odley drove forward and found Damian Osoimoejiokhian out on the left and from his cross Nathan Burrows saw his header come back off the crossbar. Moulton created one more chance before the break when Justin Mensah went on a mazy run well into the box but from his cross Terry Falcini hit his shot well over.

HALF TIME DAVENTRY 0 MOULTON 0

Straight from the start of the second half Falcini went on a run beating a couple of defenders but could only find the side netting with his eventual shot, and soon after Andy Hall fired over a corner, but no one could get a telling touch in the 6-yard box. The home side were not causing the Magpies any real problems in the final third and at the other end Moulton had a glorious chance to take the lead with 20 minutes left. An Isom cross into the box was handled in the area by a Daventry defender, Francis Boateng stepped up but his penalty kick was beaten away by keeper Lewis Patching. Not for the first time this season all the action was saved for the last 15 minutes, firstly Daventry took the lead with Luke Knight given a free header following a free -kick and he planted it inside North’s far post. The visitors responded and Louis Kelly combined with Adam Dicks and his cross is headed against the crossbar by debutant Tyson Aluko and immediately Daventry substitute Merson Styles was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes for dissent ,and whilst they were down to ten men the Magpies drew level , LUKE STEVENS hooking a right wing cross over his shoulder beating Patching at his near post with 2 minutes of normal time left. Moulton needing the 3 points pushed forward and put the home defence under severe pressure, but they held firm and with 2 minutes of injury time remaining Styles returned to the fray but within seconds committed a reckless challenge on Boateng and saw a second yellow and red to follow. Just as the game seemed to be heading for a draw a long ball into space down the Daventry left saw Josh Yeboah win a footrace with Boateng and despite a valiant attempt by Kelly to halt his progress he rounded North and found the empty net , cruel luck for the Magpies but the in-ability to take chances in a game that they generally dominated was their downfall.

FINAL SCORE DAVENTRY 2 MOULTON 1

TEAM North, Dicks, Osoimoiejokhian, Odley ( Kelly 63), Stevens, Boateng, Falcini (Amaning 63) Hall ( Aluko 74), Burrows (Khan 74),Mensah ( Ebujade 87) Isom.