Ash Flynn scored the equalising penalty for nine man AFC Emley
Nine man AFC Emley came from behind to draw 2-2 with Hull United at the Welfare Ground.
Non-League Day certainly didn’t leave the crowd at the Welfare Ground disappointed, as the game saw not only Emley’s two reds, but also a red for Hull, and a plethora of bookings, two penalties, and four goals.
Referee Jamie Waters, who sent two Penistone players off on his last appearance at the Welfare Ground during September, certainly had a busy afternoon.
It was the away side who started the better, with captain Brett Agnew putting an effort just wide within the first few minutes of the game, and Jamie Richardson firing an effort over the bar.
They did manage to break the deadlock following a corner that dropped at the feet of Matty Start on the edge of the area, and he smashed his effort past a static Adam Lawlor in the Emley goal.
Hull then doubled their lead when the lively Richardson was brought down in the area by Alex Slack, and Agnew stepped up to put his penalty straight down the middle and give his side a two goal cushion at the half time whistle.
Emley came into this game unbeaten in their last three league outings, and they started the second half strongly, with Kieran Ryan testing Nick Tudor in the Hull goal, before Harry Fox went down the other end and struck the bar with an effort from range.
It was Ashley Flynn who got Emley back into the game, bringing down Ryan’s cross from the right and firing a shot low into the bottom corner beyond Tudor to make the score 2-1.
In the aftermath of the goal, Emley assistant Joe Howson was sent to the stand, and things got worse shortly after with centre back Tom Brennan shown a second yellow for a foul just outside the area.
Ten soon became nine as Brennan’s central defensive partner Sam Jerome saw a straight red for bringing down Brett Agnew as the striker was bearing down on goal, with the resulting free kick from Jack Walters being tipped over by Lawlor.
Remarkably the nine men won themselves a penalty, with Flynn being brought down inside the area. The striker stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his 30th goal of the season and level the game.
Hull, managed by Curtis Woodhouse, put pressure on Emley, with Jamie Richardson curling an effort over the bar towards the end.
There was still time on the clock for the referee to brandish one more red, this time to Hull’s Nicky McNamara for a second bookable offense.
Ash Flynn had the last chance with the final kick of the game, as he latched onto a ball over the top but fired his effort wide, and the scores stayed level at 2-2.
AFC Emley: Lawlor, Slack, D Ryan, Tunnacliffe (captain), S Jerome, Brennan, Townend, Coduri, Flynn, K Ryan, Spicer. Subs: Hallam, Scrivens, R Jerome, Graham, Howson.
Hull United starting line-up: Tudor, Walters, Plummer, Atkinson, Bennett, Nagi, Fox, McNamara, Richardson, Agnew, Start.
Referee: Jamie Waters
Attendance: 195
Thanks to Josh Lindley for this report.
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