Jimmy Williams had to go in goal for Glasshoughton
Nine men Glasshoughton Welfare were ten minutes away from their first victory of the Toolstation NCEL Division One season on Saturday.
Glasshoughton were leading 2-1 at Grimsby Borough until a late equaliser.
Welfare, with Del Pollock and Tom Carr missing from the line-up, looked confident and young Ryan Smith making his second appearance for the side opened the scoring on 11 minutes when a cross from Regan Fish was knocked back by Luke Norbury and Smith drove home from just inside the area.
Welfare suffered a massive blow after 26 minutes when goalkeeper Matt Stables was sent off. With the welfare defence appealing for offside Stables brought down Grimsby player Wilson just outside the area and was shown a red card.
Welfare captain Jimmy Williams donned the goalkeeper\s jersey and things looked good for the visitors when Danny Middleton put Smith through and he lobbed the keeper for his second of the game.
Grimsby pulled a goal back on 40 minutes when once again, with the Welfare defence appealing for offside,Jacob Wilson slotted past Williams.
On 65 minutes welfare were reduced to nine players when midfielder Danny Snaith was sent off for for throwing the ball at a Grimsby player
Down to nine men the Welfare players were soaking up the pressure until the 80th minute when Andrew Allott was allowed a free header to level the scores.
Both teams had chances to score in the last few minutes and Welfare were disappointed not to have a penalty awarded.
Glasshoughton Welfare manager Mick Norbury:
”Five games and four straight reds, it’s not good enough.
“We are not going to win games with ten or like yesterday with nine.
“People may think that we are a dirty side but we are not. Petty things like throwing the ball at an opponent. None have been for dirty challenges or fighting.
“We have only been beaten once and that was to a very good Runcorn side. We just need to keep eleven players on the pitch.”
Glasshoughton Welfare: Stables, Walsh, Morley, Middleton (Blackburn), Williams, Seed, R Fish (K Fish), Snaith, Norbury (Lindley) Smith. Unused sub: Pilkington.
Referee: Andrew Brown
Attendance: 80
Thanks to Garry Mollon from Glasshoughton for this report.