Evo-Stik Southern, West

Shortwood United 2 Slimbridge 2

BUOYANT Slimbridge undone by late Shortwood equaliser after a dominant first half performance in deteriorating snowy and freezing conditions.

Recent tradition between these two local sides has produced a number of entertaining games in bitterly cold conditions with a flurry of goals. Last night was no exception, with temperatures around freezing and snow falling, heavy at time both teams battled to an entertaining draw where the home side should have been dead and buried before half time.

Prior to kick off Swans keeper Ollie Hall was taken ill, however he bravely took to the field for the start of the game awaiting a backup keeper on route. Captain for the night Jack Twyman tried his luck early on with a 30 yard attempt that sailed over the bar. With only 5 minutes on the clock Bakare Alie in the home defence hit a poor back pass to keeper Harry Pickering which Sean Lawson was quick to pick up on robbing the keeper and slotting into an empty net to give Slimbridge an early lead.

A wide free kick for the Swans was swung in to the far post where Korey Pring was waiting to let fly but his effort cleared the car park and out of the ground. Lawson should have made it two latching on to Maces through ball but his shot was wide from 10 yards. Joe Stokes also managed to shoot wide from close range while well placed.

On 15 minutes the home side were back on level terms, Pring’s headed clearance fell to Will Hawes who tucked the ball into the corner will Hall rooted to the spot. A minute later it was Shortwood who were unlucky not to take the lead, Hawes shot was deflected away for a corner. Hawes got on the end of the corner with an attempted bicycle kick but the visiting defence cleared for another corner. From the second corner Jordan Morris shot hit the bar and a away for a goal kick.

With only 20 minutes on the clock Jack Twyman went down on the far touchline after a strong challenge with a nasty looking injury that saw him leave the field of play on a stretcher with what later turned out to be ankle ligament damage. Alex Hoyle was introduced into the game with Tom Hoskins taking the captains armband.

Five minutes later the home sides Nick Humphreys cross from the left was met by Hawes but his shot was blocked and with the ball falling to Alex Kibbles, his effort sailed high and wide. Marley Thomas almost got on the end of a long through ball only for Pickering to be alert to produce a last gasp clearance. Hall had his first real touch of the game, saving a week shot from Jack Freeman. Shortwood gained a free kick on the wide left of the Slimbridge box after a Sam Turl foul, from which Joe White’s shot in the box was blocked for a corner, that was expertly cleared by the visiting defence.

Slimbridge dominated the last 10 minutes of the first half as the snow continued to fall at times it almost called for the Orange ball to make an appearance. It was on 36 minutes that the visitors broke away with Thomas chasing in on goal passing to Lawson but the tackle cam in resulting in a corner. The ball was clear from the resulting corner to Stokes who hammered the ball back across goal for Lawson to tap home at the far post to give Slimbridge the lead.

Pickering somehow kept the score down making a double save first from a one on one with Thomas after Stoke dinked the ball over the top, and from Lawson who got on the end of the rebound. Thomas then turned provider on the right, crossing to Stokes but again Pickering was forced into the save.

At the end of normal time, Thomas again made a run down the right but his weak cross was cleared with three Swans players lined up ready to get on the end of the cross. Lawson and Thomas breached the home defence again but it was Thomas who got the shot away just wide.

Slimbridge introduced keeper Adam Thomas at half time after he had answered a late call up, as backup for Ollie Hall who clearly was not well enough to continue in the Swans goal. The second half started well for the visitors with Mace winning the ball in a strong tackle, he fired a cross field ball into the path of Turl whose shot was blocked before Stoke fired the cleared over the bar.

A great move from Hoyle and Laws saw Stokes chip the ball over the visiting defence for marley Thomas to run onto but again the home keeper saved. As the half progressed Showrtwood continued to press for an equaliser while Slimbridge tried to take advantage on the break. On 81 minutes the Swans Thomas yet again got a shot away at keeper Pickering from a free kick but was well saved.

Shortwood now in the ascendancy with five minutes reaming, Hawes cross from the left found substitute Harry Burns but his shot was high and wide of the goal. The equaliser came on 87 minutes a free kick on the left was swung in, Hoskins headed clearance fell kindly to Morris to fire home past the stranded Adam Thomas who had yet to be called upon since his half time introduction. Although the Swans gained a valuable point, it felt like a loss after the dominance of the first half. Next up is a home game this coming Saturday against Kidlington.

Slimbridge: Hall (Adam Thomas 45), Turl, Mace, Pring, Hoskins, Layton, Twyman (Hoyle 23), Turner, Lawson (Mahon 83), Stokes, Marley Thomas.

Supporters Man of the match: Sean Lawson.