Point made after dramatic finale

Canterbury

Canterbury City had to settle for a dramatic point at Rusthall on Saturday in a game they could easily have won or lost in Southern Counties East League, Premier Division. In sweltering conditions at Jockey Farm, Laurence Harvey had the first effort for Canterbury, seeing a header saved by keeper Callum Christie, who also denied a Dave Pilcher strike and watched a deflected Stuart King strike loop over. Stephen Harper hit the post at the other end with only Jack Delo to beat and fired another shot over. City’s Matt Martin went close to opening the scoring, putting two efforts wide before Christie denied Pilcher. Delo saved from Harper before the break and Dan Mitchell after it before King got the final touch to a Pilcher shot from a Martin cross to put City ahead. Rusthall piled forward and grabbed a deserved equaliser from a corner on 87 minutes as Mitchell headed home at the second attempt after Delo had saved. The hosts set out to win it and on 93 minutes Danny Powell attacked down the left and forced his way into the box before his shot took a big deflection off the covering defender and wrong-footed Delo, who could only wave a despairing arm at the ball as it went past him into the top corner. There was still time for another twist, when from the restart, City piled forward and a high ball into the box saw a knock down from Harvey fall invitingly into space and Pat Nzuzi reacted the quickest, slamming the ball home off the underside of the bar for 2-2 with the final kick of the game.