Windsor’s big lead is wiped out by Hillingdon
Visitors fail to hold onto 3-0 lead against improving Borough
Windsor were held to a 3-3 draw by a Hillingdon Borough side who began the evening 11 points behind them in the Combined Counties Division 1 table.
However, positive results against fellow strugglers Spartans Youth and Brook House in their upcoming matches should be enough to guide the Royalists to safety.
From a neutral perspective, Tuesday's game did not disappoint, with the sides serving up six goals between them and a glut of goal-mouth action.
Garry Haylock's side made the trip without six of their regular starters, however, they'll be disappointed they failed to close the game out after racing into a 3-0 lead early in the second half.
The game was played in squally conditions, which didn't help either team while scouts from Wigan Athletic were also in attendance to check on the progress of Windsor's Alex Peapell.
The frenetic nature of the opening 25 minutes didn't help the players to settle, however, Reilly Hudson playing wide on the left was proving a handful for Hillingdon's defence, and his low hard cross in the 25th minute was converted by Allesandro Peliccia only for the striker to be surprisingly ruled offside. Further close calls followed for Nathan Green and Reilly Hudson before Windsor finally took the lead in the 37th minute when Pellicia, a handful all evening, converted clinically from Mackenzie Rand-Brade’s defence splitting through ball.
It was 2-0 to the visitors a few minutes later when Rand-Brade played in Green who raced past his marker and fired a powerful shot high past Gumeiro's right hand.
Windsor must have thought they'd wrapped the game up when Green turned his marker with a trademark spin and placed a low shot to the right of the advancing keeper in the 49th minute, but their stranglehold on the contest was loosened when Leonel Medrado scored a ‘worldy’ for Hillingdon from 30 yards which smashed into the top right-hand corner.
Then in the 74th minute, hope turned to expectation when Alfie Inman unfortunately scored an own goal as Jonas Borges hard cross ricocheted off his outstretched leg into the net.
The home side now had momentum and were full of belief that a game seemingly out of reach was suddenly there for the taking.
Pellicia should have made it 4 - 2 for Windsor in the 89th minute but his shot flashed wide of the left-hand post and, as the clock clicked into injury-time. Hillingdon completed their comeback when Medrado scored his second of the night.
The drama continued when Matt Keane in the Windsor goal dislocated his left knee when falling awkwardly from a corner. This resulted in a 20-minute delay but play finally resumed with makeshift goalkeeper Peapell managing to keep the scores level for what remained of injurytime with Windsor reduced to 10 men having used all their substitutes.
The goodwill and support shown to Matt Keane following his injury was also a real credit to the Hillingdon Borough players and staff.
Windsor are 18th in the table, 11 points above the drop zone with nine matches left to play.