Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Bottesford Town 2-3 Armthorpe Welfare
Tom McLaughlin (eft) headed Armthorpe to a vital win
Tom McLaughlin’s dramatic 95th minute header propelled Armthorpe Welfare out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.
The win also secured back-to-back victories for Welfare – a great achievement given they were difficult away trips at Hemsworth and Bottesford.
Manager Mike Carmody was forced to make two changes to the side with Josh Gibbons and Craig Aspinall unavailable so Jack Waldron came into the defence with new signing Louis Penty replacing Aspinall in midfield. Stuart Preston took over the captaincy.
The home side had the better of a largely uneventful first half, although Jack Bonser forced Town ‘keeper Arron Busby to save his low angled shot on 19 minutes.
Adam Stevens was called into action to comfortably collect a 25 yard free-kick from Martin Pembleton on 24 minutes and a minute later he had to get down smartly to block and angled drive from Paul Grimes.
Welfare managed to impose themselves far more in the second half and equalised just five minutes after the break. Preston played a perfectly weighted through-ball for Liam Radford to steer the ball past the advancing Busby and just inside the left hand post from 20 yards.
Just over a minute later and Welfare scored again to turn the game on its head. Bonser found himself in space on the left of the box and hit a strong shot from 16 yards that deflected by Busby and into the net.
Darren Mansaram then sent over a low cross from the right that squirmed under Busby at his near post but Bottesford somehow managed to scramble the ball off the line before Bonser could get the vital touch over the line.
Bottesford lost ‘keeper Busby through injury on 65 minutes with Gaz Barlow taking over between the sticks as Danny Boulton and Wayne Graves came on for Busby and Josh Nicholl.
Stevens saved well from Graves on 68 minutes but as the game entered the last 5 minutes of normal time a Bottesford corner from the left found its way to Graves at the back post to turn and smash the ball past Stevens.
The Welfare weren’t to be denied the three points and in the 5th minute of stoppage time Radford sent over a pin-point cross for substitute McLaughlin to head in at the back post.
The win moved the Welfare up to 19th in the Premier Division table, above Retford on goal difference.
The Team
Armthorpe Welfare: Stevens, Taylor, Gowen, Olsson, Roberts, Waldron, Bonser, Penty (McLaughlin 69), Darren Mansaram (Bulman 90), Radford, Preston (Kearsley 85 mins). Sub unused: Williams.