Disappointing late lapse sees Stanley held
STANLEY........................... 4 SCORELINE ...................... 4
TOMMY Leigh celebrated his first league double – but Cheltenham twice struck late to snatch a 4-4 draw at the Wham Stadium.
The clash between two teams rooted in mid-table sprang into life with two goals in four minutes before half-time from Leigh and Sean McConville before Leigh and an own goal made it 4-2.
However, goals in the 90th minute and in the sixth minute of injury time rescued a point for Michael Duff’s side as Stanley ended the game with ten-men following a late sending off for Ross Sykes for two yellow cards.
Boss John Coleman, who had to watch the game from the gantry following a one-match dug-out ban, made three changes from the side which lost to Gillingham last week.
Toby Savin returned in goal, Jay Rich-Baghuelou got the nod in defence and Leigh returned after a three-match suspension.
Stanley pressed in the early stages with a couple of goalmouth scrambles but lost former Cheltenham midfielder Harry Pell to injury in the 15th minute, replaced by John O’Sullivan.
The first real save was by Savin on 19 minutes after George Lloyd burst into the area and the Stanley stopper denied him.
The Reds threatened on 27 minutes when Ethan Hamilton rifled an effort over the bar and soon after Sykes had a header scrambled clear as the Reds tried to make their pressure count.
However it was Cheltenham who opened the scoring on 33 minutes when a back header fell into the path of the league’s second top scorer Alfie May and he clipped the ball past Savin for his 24th goal of the campaign.
Stanley assistant manager Jimmy Bell was shown a yellow card on 35 minutes for protesting an off-side decision before
two quick-fire goals saw the Reds take the lead into the break.
In the first minute of added time, McConville’s free kick was cleared into the path of Leigh in the penalty area and he rifled the ball into the net.
In the fifth minute of injury time, Stanley turned the game around when Leigh’s long throw was flicked on by Michael Nottingham and fell to McConville who blasted the ball home.
It was three on 48 minutes when Colby Bishop found Leigh running into the area and he fired past Owen Evans. The midfielder now has eight goals in his first season in the league.
Stanley had chances to increase their lead as the Robins goal led a charmed life with Leigh on the hunt for a hat-trick.
However Cheltenham struck next on 66 minutes when a Liam Sercombe free kick wasn’t cleared and Will Boyle headed home from close range.
Evans tipped over a McConville header and kept out a Hamilton strike as Stanley continued to carve out opportunities.
They made it four on 86 minutes when Michael Nottingham charged into the area and his cross was turned into his own net by Ellis Chapman.
However there was more late drama when Callum Wright tapped
home in the 90th minute before Sykes saw red in the 91st minute.
Then Boyle drilled home his second of the game in the sixth minute of added time to make it 4-4.
“It feels like we’ve lost – it’s the most disappointing scoreline we’ve had all season to be honest,” said Coleman. “It was a game we had won and all of a sudden we’ve managed not to win.
“Terrible defnding and no luck – you combine that and you’re in trouble.
“The back door has been a problem all season. We have great defenders but something is missing, we just switch off. It feels as if every shot
on our goal is going to go in now. People will say ‘oh what character Cheltenham have showed, after going down 4-2 in the 87th minute.’ They haven’t showed any character at all, they’ve had a load of luck and we’ve had a load of bad luck with the sending off and that’s about it.
“At no stage did you ever think we weren’t going to win that game. Cheltenham were second best in every department and yet the department that matters, goals, they end up equal to us.”
STANLEY: Savin, Rich-Baghuelou,
Sykes, Nottingham, Clark, Pell (O’Sullivan), Coyle, Hamilton, McConville, Leigh (Pritchard), Bishop Subs: Isherwood, Conneely, Longelo, Amankwah, Adedoyin.
2,181 (177)
Bell, Sykes, Rich-Baghuelou