Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division Two

Dursley Town 2 Whitecroft 4

DURSLEY Town gave another honest performance in their final home match of the season but their patched-up side slipped to their 22nd defeat from 28 matches against visiting Whitecroft.

While the effort of Town’s bare XI could not be faulted, the fact that more than half of them, including four of the back five, signed up for Stroud Four football tells much of the story.

The away side’s direct play brought them the opening goal from a long ball after 20 minutes, but the hosts soon levelled when Nathan Vines’ cross from the right was deflected in for an own goal.

Five minutes later, the ball broke for Vines 20 yards from goal and he hammered a terrific first-time drive beyond the goalkeeper to put the bottom-of-the-table side into the lead.

However, another long ball brought Whitecroft a prompt equaliser and they again stretched the home defence to retake the lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

Town competed well from there, though, with forty-something centre-back Chris Wilkins performing solidly on his umpteenth first-team return, and the visitors only secured victory in stoppage-time.

* Dursley Reserves will finish bottom of Stroud League Division Four after a number of points deductions for failing to fulfil fixtures and a 2-2 draw at Avonvale on Tuesday.

Town might have finished with a victory after coming from behind to lead, but goalkeeper Keith Watson was unable to hold a skidding shot five minutes from time and the loose ball was tapped home.