Asfordby FC fume as late two-goal lead slips away

They welcomed fifth-bottom Thurnby to Hoby Road with high hopes despite a heavy 6-02 defeat on Saturday at runaway leaders Allexton and New Parks.

Both defences held firm until the 20th minute when neat passing play from right to left ended with Matt Hendey lobbing the Thurnby keeper to break the deadlock.

The hosts soon doubled their lead when Jack Baker went on a marauding run through the middle and won a corner.

After his initial corner was cleared, Dean Copson’s neat cross found Dean Randall unmarked to place a header into the bottom corner.

Another piece of good passing play almost brought a third as Marcus Rowland sneaked in on goal but the ball just eluded him.

Thurnby began to create chances of their own came close before half-time when Jamie Felstead cleared off the line following a Tom Mortimer save.

The visitors were forced into a goalkeeping change at half-time through injury, but this didn’t weaken their defensive resolve.

The second half started much the same as the first had ended with Thurnby on the attack, an they pulled one back when a fierce shot was saved by Mortimer, but parried into the path of a Thurnby attacker who finished into an empty net.

Asfordby surged forward, and after several good chances, Matt Hendey’s run and cross hit a defender’s arm to earn a penalty which Hendey dispatched without fuss.

More chances came, most notably for Copson, Baker and Lapworth, but Thurnby finished the stronger and made it 3-2 with just minutes left to set up a tense finale.

The tension was broken by the last kick of the game as the visitors equalised from a corner.

Asfordby host 4th place Sileby Town on Saturday in a game they will be hoping to rekindle their recent form.

Asfordby: Mortimer, Felstead, Rowland, Randall (Gilbertson), Lapworth, Johnson, Baker, Matt Hendey, Mike Hendey, Ambrose (c) (Love), Copson. Unused sub: Griffiths.