Honours even after 10 goal extravaganza
TOTAL MOTION MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE SHEPSHED DYNAMO 5 AFC WULFRUNIANS 5 SHEPSHED Dynamo and AFC Wulfrunians shared five goals a piece in a 10 goal thriller at the Dovecote.
To a neutral or groundhopper this would be a perfect game to be at but for Shepshed what looked like an unassailable 4-1 lead at half time it was more like two points dropped rather than a point gained a result where they remain ninth in the league.
Shepshed dominated the first half and John Bateman in The Wulfs goal was made to work from the first minute saving from Jake Betts and then Corey Grantham fired over on eight minutes.
Shepshed’s early pressure paid off on eighteen minutes a Liam Read free kick from the right side was flicked over Bateman by Shay Brennan and under pressure from Betts the ball looped into the visitor’s net.
Dynamo wanted to turn control into goals with Niall Prenderville having an effort blocked and then on 21 minutes Bateman saved from Brennan again.
Two minutes later Shepshed doubled their lead Brennan denied by Bateman again but Amarvir Sandhu was on hand to slot home the rebound.
AFC Wulfrunians then had their best spell of the first half with Denham Hinds denying Jake Webb on 31 minutes.
Two minutes later and the visitors pulled one back Shepshed panicking at the back and failing to clear their defence properly led to Hinds saving from Mitch Evans but Nicholas Turton was on hand to head into the empty net.
Dynamo restored their two goal advantage on 37 minutes from a Read hand corner the ball was headed across the box by Adam Hoh and Celson Patrocinio was alone in the six yard box to make it three.
Shepshed then made it four on 41 minutes Betts fed Sandhu down the left handside and he was brought down in the box by Jacob Barnes the referee immediately pointed to the spot and Brennan dispatched the spot kick past Bateman despite the keeper getting his hands to the ball.
With a 4-1 lead at the break the only outcome based on the first half was further goals from Shepshed and three comfortable home points. But how a game of football can change in 45 minutes.
Whatever Richard Forsyth said to his team at half time certainly worked AFC Wulfrunians came out looking a more sharper and determind side and their more direct approach to the game was something for a majority of the second half Shepshed couldn’t handle.
AFC Wufrunian’s new dedtermination paid dividends on 52 minutes Tom Ray’s cross was met by the head of Turton, Hinds saved the header but Turton was first to the loose ball to reduce the deficit to two goals.
Wulfrunians pulled back a further goal on 59 minutes as they broke down the right handside the ball was fired into the box hitting Sandhu. With the referee seemingly to be in a more advantageous position to see the incident he conferred with the raised flag of his linesman and a penalty was given and Webb scored from the spot to make it 4-3.
The inevitable happened on 69 minutes as Wulfrunians rejuvenated side gained their deserved equaliser Webb caught Dynamo on the break and found Turton to claim his hat trick and The Wulfs fourth.
Shepshed went back into the lead and maybe thought they had broken AFC Wulfrunians resolve on 79 minutes, debutant Grantham cutting in from the left hand side beating Bateman low at the near post.
But AFC Wulfrunians no surrender attitude wasn’t over - Jumaane Meggoe had only been on the pitch four minutes when he managed to break through two challenges and beat Hinds to make it 5-5.
The final chance of the game fell to Adam Hohn on 89 minutes but his free kick cleared the crossbar.
For their determination and failure to give in AFC Wulfrunians deserved their share of the points but Shepshed will feel they have thrown away two points.