Uni FC leave it late to grab all the points

LOUGHBOROUGH UNI FC 3

HAUGHMOND 2 LOUGHBOROUGH Uni FC continued their excellent run of form with a last gasp victory over Shrewsbury outfit, Haughmond.

However, this certainly wasn’t the Scholars at their best and most spectators wouldn’t have begrudged the visitors a point.

The only goal of the first 45 minutes fell to the home side and it was another fine goal from a free kick some 25-yards from goal.

The task of taking such kicks normally fall to Alex Read but he was sidelined so Matty Crookes stepped up and hit a superb drive that left the keeper no real chance.

Although chances remained at a premium Uni top marksman Jo Boachie always looked a threat but the two genuine opportunities which came his way went begging.

The first he couldn’t get the ball under his control and lost the chance before simply mis-kicking when well placed when another chance arrived.

At halftime the score remained 1-0 and the home support must have been grateful for that.

The second half followed a similar pattern although Haughmond switched to a back three to try and press home some of their attacking advantages but it was the Students who increased their lead on the hour and a fine goal it was.

Substitute James Daly sent Uni skipper Mutamba clear down the left and his low cross found Boachie in space to drill the ball home.

Haughmond refused to lie down and slowly they forced their way back into the game with what was really a fortuitous goal. Scott Graham tried his luck from about 15 yards and got lucky as the ball took a deflection off Croud and wrong footed King.

Ten minutes later the scores were level when a corner floated right across the six yard box to Hole who was unmarked and he cracked it into the net.

If the game had finished there and then a draw would have been about right but there was a twist in the tail as the game entered four minutes of added on time.

The Students went down the right and got to the by-line where Toby Aromolaran pulled the ball back to Moran who stabbed it forward and Daly just had to tap the ball home to put the Students back into the lead.

There was to be an unsavoury end to the game when Haughmond players protested bitterly about the goal - they surrounded the linesmen and then the referee who ended by issuing a yellow card to Howells who’d earlier been booked, thus meaning he was off.