LATE EQUALISER RESCUES POINT FOR TOWN

An equaliser six minutes from time by Warren Bellew ensured Runcorn Town ended November unbeaten as they drew 1-1 with Squires Gate in Blackpool.

The cold, wet and windy conditions made it difficult for both teams all game, but it was Town who made the early running and were rewarded with a goal after just eight minutes. Midfielder Scott Burton played the ball out to debutant Paul Shanley on the right and his cross took a wicked deflection off Stuart Horn with the ball creeping in at the near post.

Shanley almost doubled the lead two minutes later when Warren Bellew's clever chip over the last defender left him with Neil Beesley to beat, but the keeper pulled off a fine save.

The home side came into the game more with a shot by Louis Mayers in the 18th minute beating Karl Wills with Tom Spearitt clearing off the line, with Wills holds a low effort from the same player two minutes later.

A header towards Wills from Spearitt then let in Scott Harries, before a free kick from Ben Fishwick went just wide of the right hand post. Pressure eventually told after 39 minutes when Harries broke down the left by and put a low cross into the box where Fishwick turned met it to equalise.

Town's opportunities were limited but they wasted a great chance to equalise on the stroke of half time when Mark Keddie ran into the box and crossed for Anderson who missed the ball three yards out. The ball fell to Shanley whose shot was saved on the line.

The second half saw Squires Gate come out in determined fashion and they were ahead after 49 minutes with a carbon copy of the opening goal. This time Harries cross from the left was met by Chris Bennett who scored from close range.

Just before the hour Beesley pulled off a fantastic save from Danny Dalton whose header inside the box from a left wing corner was heading towards the top corner. At the other end Wills pulled off a good save after a cross from right was deflected goalwards.

Both sides then made changes with Emini Adegbenro, Shaun Chart and Tony Wynne coming on for Town and Joseph Shelmerdine and Isaac Kusaluka coming on for Gate, and all subs were instrumental in a frantic last ten minutes of the match.

With Town pushing forward looking for the equaliser, Kusaluka broke for Squires Gate down the left and opted to shoot from a tight angle when Shelmerdine was completely unmarked in front of goal. Sam Farrow then got away down the right hand side and crossed for Harries who put his effort over the bar.

At the other end Wynne got behind the defence and managed to knock the ball past the keeper to Chart with a defender clearing for a corner seconds before the Town man made contact. From the corner, Bellew curled it in with the ball evading everyone and ending up in the top corner of the net.

Both sides could have won it late on with Adegbenro failing to hit the target with two seperate chances from the edge of the box. Arguably the easiest chance came in stoppage time when Shelmerdine found Kusaluka with a perfect cross three yards out from goal, but the Squires Gate forward put his volley over the bar when it was easier to score.

Posted at 16:35 on Sunday 27th November 2011 - Viewed 304 times