THE HAWKS SWOOP LATE FOR HISTORIC THREE POINTS
IN A dramatic end to this entertaining game at Cressing Road it took two goals in added on time for the visitors to snatch victory literally from the jaws of defeat, leaving their boss Lee Bradbury absolutely delighted with his side’s first victory at National League level.
With the full 90 minutes up and the Iron eagerly anticipating their first win of the season leading 3-2, severe pressure from the visitors saw Nicke Kabamba head home in the 94th minute and in the 96th minute substitute Alfie Rutherford headed the winner to complete the comeback, both through dreadful home defending.
A delighted Bradbury said: “I know my boys will never give it up and it showed today and although they were late goals to win the game I felt overall we deserved it.
“We’ve been unlucky so far in not getting a win but I kept telling the boys to keep playing our way and work to the final whistle and it could all come good. Thankfully it has.”
Iron manager Brad Quinton is promising changes to his playing personnel saying: “I am bitterly disappointed to concede so late on and their two added time goals which could easily have been avoided.
“Overall though I think we were poor despite coming back and taking the lead because we have no game management at present and it showed with those two late goals.
“We’ve got defenders too who want to play the ball out at the back and today we got caught again when we should have sensibly put the ball out of the ground and also other players simply switched off at crucial times and you can’t afford that at this level.” “There will certainly be some changes this week because we need to improve straight away and we will have new faces in the squad – I can‘t accept a repeat of this late, late show.” The Iron had the worse start conceding a goal in the first minute when the ball was lost on the half way line and full back Rory Williams galloped through down the left unhindered to fire the ball past home keeper Ben Killip. The home side forced themselves back into the game on 31 minutes when Reece Grant headed home and on 38 minutes Mohamed Bettamer beautifully drove a 30 yard freekick into the top corner to give his side the lead.
But right on half time, Jordan Rose was left unmarked in the box to head the ball into the net for an equaliser.
The Iron re-took the lead on 72 minutes when again young Grant intercepted a backpass and lobbed keeper Ryan Young.
With the Iron gleefully looking forward to a win referee Sam Purkiss somehow found six minutes of added time and it was left to the visitors to take full advantage by grabbing those two late goals to win.