BCAFL Division 1

John Cordle bundled home a 90th minute equaliser to earn Thornbury Baptist Church a deserved point away at Hope. The hosts had taken maximum points from their first two games of the season and they took the lead on 12 minutes when the striker latched onto a long ball over the top and kept his composure to chip a stranded Davis Newcombe in the Thornbury goal.

Thornbury were playing some decent football on a slick surface being drenched by relentless rain but fell further adrift on 23 minutes when another Hope counter attack saw them breach a high Thornbury backline. This time the finishing with a smashed a right-foot strike across goal and into the top corner.

At the other end, Jimmy Cooke headed wide from a James Hancox cross and a Steve Clare volley was palmed wide by the Hope keeper. On 31 minutes Thornbury had some reward for their endeavour when Cooke got between the defender and keeper from a Phil Mansfield through ball and he was impeded by the keeper and the referee pointed to the spot. Cooke converted well to put Thornbury back in it.

Thornbury had the advantage of the slope in the second half and began to dominate.

Ben Ingram, Rich Ocone, Stu Kelly and Cooke again all had good chances to level the scores but they were also indebted to a magnificent tackle from Mansfield to prevent would surely have been a Hope winner on 75 minutes to keep them in it.

It took until the dying seconds for the Baptist just to rescue a point.

A deep cross from Mansfield was headed on by Cooke, then Cordle beat the keeper to square the ball for Steve Clare who was hauled to the floor as he poked an effort on goal enabling Cordle to complete from a yard out as bodies sprawled across the box. It’s an unbeaten start to Thornbury’s league campaign and they move onto GFA Cup action on Saturday.