BCFA Division One

Hillfields Baptists 4 Thornbury Baptists 2

THORNBURY suffered a frustrating defeat at Hillfields on Saturday despite a brilliant late fightback, which saw them score twice after 80 minutes to bring the score back to 3-2 only for a late Hillfields penalty to seal their fate.

The visitors probably started the livelier of the two but chances were few and far between until a Hillfields corner was headed in at the far post as Thornbury again showed a fragility defending set pieces.

It was 2-0 before half-time when a cross benefitted from the crosswind and sailed over keeper Dave Lane’s head.

A bad day for Lane was made significantly worse when midway through the second half he picked up what was controversially adjudged to be a pass-back. Hillfields fired home the indirect free-kick and seemed to have sealed the points.

Thornbury rallied however and not for the first time this season it was the pace and guile of Ash Tuck that turned things in their favour.

With less than ten minutes remaining he got in front of the keeper to head home a free-kick from Josh Skinner and just minutes later he latched onto a James Hancox pass down the right, cut inside beating two defenders and then fired in past the keeper’s near post.

As Thornbury pushed for the equaliser Hillfields benefitted from the space going forward and earned a penalty when the striker was clipped by Nick Tymko.

The converted spot-kick was the last action of a frenetic game that left Thornbury a little aggrieved and Hillfields still very much in the hunt for the title.