Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Handsworth Parramore 3-3 Thackley
Tom Dugdale scored twice for Thackley
There was late drama at Handsworth Parramore for the third game running after captain Richard Adams struck the 95th minute equaliser to deny heart-broken Thackley.
Thackley left-back Jerry White was also sent off after the final whistle after getting involved in an altercation with Parramore’s Bruno Holden.
The intervention of Adams ensured that title-chasing Parramore remain unbeaten since Mick Godber was elevated to the manager’s position.
Parramore put pressure on Thackley from early on, and only a great save by keeper Colling diverted a Luke Fletcher volley wide of the far post after the first of many excellent runs and crosses from the reliable Danny Buttle. The keeper was not so impressive from the resultant corner as his weak punch landed at the feet of Steve Warne who was chopped down on the edge of the area. Although Jon Froggatt’s free kick was charged down, the rebound fell to Richard Adams, whose shot was held by the busy Colling.
After 16 minutes, Froggatt had the ball in the net finishing off a Gareth Griffiths flick from Will Eades’ free kick but the flag was raised for offside. Thackley were then lucky to survive when an excellent Ant Wilson shot beat the keeper but came back off the post, but out of the blue, the visitors struck when a hole appeared in the centre of the back four and top goalscorer Tom Dugdale raced through to finish well past Sneath with their first opportunity of the game.
Rather than feeling sorry for themselves, The Ambers carried on where they had left off and continued to probe in a bid to level things up, and on 36 minutes a Buttle free kick was headed on by Griffiths and up popped Froggatt at the back stick to make it 1-1. As half time approached it was The Ambers who continued to dominate and somehow the visitors managed to withstand a bombardment of home attacks with some heroic defending.
Thackley started the second period more positively with the dangerous Andrew Wood testing Sneath but it was The Ambers who took the early advantage when a half cleared Simon Harrison cross fell to Griffiths who blasted home with the aid of a deflection from 25 yards. However, the visitors, a completely different proposition to the side who succumbed to a 6-0 home defeat back in September, struck back immediately and it was Dugdale again who did the damage, firing home after racing down the left wing.
The game was much more open now, with both sides pressing forward looking for the winner, and the Thackley goal once again led a charmed life as the home side failed to convert a series of good half chances. Some sloppy defending then let in Brown for an unchallenged header and the visitors were ahead again with less than half an hour remaining.
As the game entered the final ten minutes, Buttle and Wilson were replaced by Bruno Holden and the returning Mitch Ward-Cupitt, and Holden came so close to levelling things up as late as the 94th minute but Colling preserved the lead by tipping his header over for a third consecutive corner. With Sneath coming up for the last hurrah, Harrison’s ball in was pinging around the box before it fell to skipper Adams who squeezed his shot home to rescue a point.
Handsworth Parramore: Sneath, Harrison, Eades, Fletcher, Adams (captain), Griffiths, Marrison (Rippon), Warne, Froggatt, Wilson (Ward-Cupitt), Buttle (Holden). Subs not used: Joynes, Denton.
Thackley: Colling, Bentham, White, McGuire (captain), Hargreaves, Snowden, Farrell (Cohen 84), Whiteley, Wood, Brown (Beckles 88), Dugdale. Subs not used: Pett, Littlefair, O’Brien.
Thanks to Ian Robinson for this report.