Bulls lose ground in promotion race at Bottesford

The visitors dominated for long periods and looked set to take all three points thanks to an Ash Kitchen goal just after the break.

But it all went wrong near the end as Bulls skipper Chris Timons was sent off for a second bookable offence before the 10-men were rocked by an 85th minute equaliser.

The draw saw AFC, who were without Grant Allott, Ryan Williams and Joe Naylor, drop to fifth in the table with Bottesford sixth, two points behind them.

It was the home side that had the first chance on goal after just three minutes when Dan Boulton headed well wide from a Craig Bridge cross.

It wasn’t until the 30th minute that the next serious attempt at goal came when Craig Mitchell was denied by Leigh Herrick in the home goal. Herrick got down well to Mitchell’s low drive after a clever flick on from Chris Wood had sent the striker clear.

A minute later a big shout for handball by Lee Ridley at the back for Bottesford was waved away by the referee.

Ridley then did well to cut out a Wood cross to an unmarked Mitchell eight yards out.

The second half was only two minutes old when AFC Mansfield took the lead.

A corner from the right was headed down by Timons and the ball eventually fell to the feet of Kitchen who drilled the ball through Herrick’s legs.

The visitors should have increased their lead as several chances went begging in the next 15 minutes.

However, AFC were dealt the first of two blows on 72 minutes as Timons was dismissed and they were now on the back foot.

The second blow came on 85 minutes when the home side equalised with a header from Lee Ridley.

The Bulls had one final chance to take the points when Declan Brewin broke into the box.

He squared the ball to Mitchell who would have had the simplest of finishes but Ridley superbly slid in to knock the ball behind for a corner and save a point for his side.

BOTTESFORD TOWN: Herrick, Gibbons, Smith (Thompson 78), Ridley, Johnson, Barwick, Pembleton, McDonald, Boulton, Bridge, Graves. Subs not used: Kirk, Robinson, Snow, Harle.

AFC MANSFIELD: White, Kitchen, Dudley, Lamplough, Timons (c), Naylor D, Buxton (Wilson 74), Cotton, Wood (Brewin 81), Mitchell, Ghaichem. Subs not used: Ward, Whitman, Vilums.

REFEREE: Danny Jarvis of South Yorkshire.

ATTENDANCE: 85.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ash Kitchen.