Quorn fightback to take spoils in five goal thriller
TOTAL MOTION MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE
QUORN 3 RUGBY TOWN 2
QUORN were forced into changes at the back with injuries to Lawrence Gorman and George Taylor keeping them out of the starting eleven. John Melligan dropped into the back line and Rob Mulonga returned after missing last week’s game, Ryan Evans returned up front with skipper Ryan Seal dropping back to a midfield position.
The visitors struck an early warning with a header that brushed the crossbar with the officials missing a clear foul that led to the chance. Quorn replied when a Seal corner was headed back by Dan Brenan towards the goal, but a defender hacked the ball away to safety. Back came Rugby and David Kolodynski found space to fire goal-wards from the edge of the box but Haydn Whitcombe superbly tipped over the bar.
Quorn took the lead in the 21st minute, some neat build up play between Nathan Dale and Seal, saw the latter play a fine through ball for Sean Williams to outpace the defender before crossing to George Bowerman, who calmly fired past Niall Cooper for the opening goal.
The visitors responded with a couple of efforts from distance, the first drifting harmlessly wide and the second comfortably gathered by Whitcombe.
More good approach play by Quorn ended with Sean Williams firing wide of the mark. The game opened up and both sides traded attacks before the visitors levelled in the 38th minute. A deep cross from the right was headed back for Ruben Wiggins-Thomas to score from close range, with the home defence looking a bit dishevelled. Encouraged by this the visitors had their best spell of the game and only a brilliant double save from Whitcombe prevented the hosts from falling behind.
The second half began with the visitors in the ascendancy and it took them just three minutes to take the lead, somewhat with a touch of deja vu about it, Quorn caught napping and Wiggins-Thomas again profiting from being unmarked to fire past Whitcombe from close range. Quorn struck back just three minutes later, Nathan Dale finding the top corner with a superb piece of individual play, picking the ball up from just outside the box before teeing it up for himself to volley past the despairing dive of Cooper.
The game continued end to end and substitute Jack Oldham had a great chance to put Quorn ahead but couldn’t find the finish after just coming on to replace Mulonga. Quorn were causing panic in the visitors’ defence and Darious Darkin went close but again couldn’t finish with everyone waiting for the net to bulge, Cooper blocking his effort.
Both sides were going for the win and it could have gone either way until Quorn seemed to step up a gear and it looked as though they were back in front when Dale fired another superb effort from distance that struck the crossbar before bouncing over the line and out with neither official in position to judge.
Quorn got stronger as the game wore on and deservedly went ahead, Oldham got free on the right and fired in a low cross that reached Bowerman, who did the rest with another cool finish giving Cooper no chance in the 94th minute, the officials conjured up five more added minutes, but Quorn comfortably held out for the three points.
Credit to both sides who played the game in the correct spirit and with very little between the sides, Quorn look forward to the return game at Rugby in three weeks time.