SHIFNAL TOWN 2 LICHFIELD CITY 2
Midland Football League, Premier Division
Saturday 8 October 2022
This game was a credit to Step 5 football, as two top-of-the-table sides threw everything at trying to get maximum points. Play was end-to-end for most of the game, with the hosts twice coming back from a one-goal deficit. On the balance of chances created, Town should have won the game, but they only had themselves to blame for gifting their opponents both goals, and then missing a penalty. The home side were agonisingly close to taking the lead after 9 minutes when a long clearance was latched on to by Tom Hill, but his lob over the keeper was brilliantly cleared off the line by a defender. In the 13th minute, the Town defence made a hash of playing out from the back, and although Johnny Johnston’s shot looped off a defender on to the crossbar, CAMERON DUNN drove the loose ball into the far corner from the 15 yards. A minute later, Shifnal should have equalised when a through ball found Keanu Cooper in on goal, but he shot tamely straight at James Beeson. They came within a whisker of an equaliser on 18 minutes with a fine passing movement which ended with Josh Green crossing from the right for Hill to put his diving header inches of the far post. Johnston did well on the City left on the half-hour, beating a defender, but firing wide from 20 yards. The eventual equaliser arrived after 37 minutes, when Green’s cross found Joe Thompson, who laid the ball off for COOPER to drive in at the near post from 10 yards. A minute before the break, Luke Walsh, who had been causing the City defence all sorts of problems, was scythed down in the penalty area, but Hill put his spot-kick too close to Beeson.
Town started the second half poorly, allowing the visitors to push the game into their half of the field. City should have retaken the lead in the 57th minute, but Jack Edwards headed over from Haines’ cross when unmarked. Shifnal again made a mess of trying to play out from the back after 61 minutes, and LUKE CHILDS netted at the second attempt from close range. The goal seemed to awake Shifnal from their lethargy, and they created chance after chance as they strove for another equaliser. Thompson was inches too high with a 66th-minute free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. 3 minutes later, Hill sent Mikey Nelson away down the left. He cut in and shot, but Beeson deflected his shot across the face of goal, Walsh’s follow-up being blocked by a defender. Nelson was denied a goal on 80 minutes, when his low 20-yard drive was turned against the upright by the diving Beeson. The pressure finally paid off a minute later, when a corner from the right was mis-kicked by Cooper, but substitute JEREMY ABBEY headed over the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Both sides had good chances to win the game in the final 10 minutes, but they had to settle for a draw.
SHIFNAL: Sheridan Martinez, Josh Green, Kane Lewis, Ashley Brown (Tyrone Ofori 73mins), Jack Kelly, Emem Jones, Keanu Cooper, Joe Thompson, Tom Hill, Mikey Nelson, Luke Walsy (Jeremy Abbey 74mins).
Subs not used: Sean Jones; Lewis Jarman; Sam Griffiths.
LICHFIELD: James Beeson, Lewi Burnside, Joe Haines, Jamie Elkes, Sam Walton, Kyle Baxter, Max Dixon (Jack Edwards H-T), Johnny Johnston (Harrison James 74mins), Luke Keen (Ethan Muckley 81mins), Cameron Dunn (Sam Fitzgerald H-T), Luke Childs (Kyren Hamilton 90mins).
Caution: Haines (43mins).
Attendance: 141.
Referee: Ben Stott (Uttoxeter).
Assistant referees: Stuart Hale (Wednesbury).
Phil Magness (Wednesbury).
Shifnal Star Man: Luke Walsh.
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