Shirebrook brought back down to earth

After last week’s extraordinary 12-goal rout of Appleby Frodingham, Shirebrook Town were brought back to earth by a 1-1 frustrating Toolsport NCEL Division One draw against visitors and mid-table rivals Grimsby Borough at Langwith Road on Saturday.

It always was going to be a much tougher game for Shirebrook, who were without two of the goalscorers from last Saturday’s squad, Jamie Brown and Max Pemberton.

Meanwhile, newly-signed striker Gary King made the starting 11, whilst defender Ross Henshaw and midfielders Danny Wiltshire and Adam Shepherd were all named on the bench.

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With Louis Grant ploughing a lone furrow up front for Borough for the most of the time, the North Lincolnshire side always looked like they might be happy to settle for a point from the game, although the first real chance fell to Grant who forced a save out of Saxby with a stinging 22-yard shot on eight minutes.

But the lion’s share of the remaining chances in the half went Shirebrook’s way.

However, space behind the visitors’ back four was always at a premium and it wasn’t until the game was 36 minutes old that the home side actually found the target.

But top-scorer Aaron Moxam’s shot on his wrong foot from 18 yards was weak and easy for Borough keeper Leigh Cook to deal with.

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And that was it for the first half, though Nathan Adams very nearly broke the deadlock a minute after the restart following a neat one-two with Moxam that came to nothing as Adams fired into the sidenetting at the right hand post.

Borough then had a good short spell themselves, but that also came to nothing and Shirebrook did most of the pressing after that with the advantage of the Langwith Road slope in their favour.

Nevertheless, the visitors remained solid at the back until 10 minutes from time when Danny Claridge struck a low shot from 25 yards on the left that Cook could only parry into the path of King at the far post.

The ball only needed putting in from eight yards and Shirebrook supporters around the ground were already celebrating as King hit it, but Cook somehow scrambled across to save the shot on the line.

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It was a fine double-save, and one that looked like it would earn the visitors at least the point they probably came for.

But eight minutes later there was nothing that Cook could do when Moxam finally found a way through and hit the back of the Borough net through a sea of legs at the near post from Connor Shirley’s corner on the left on 88 minutes.

Borough were furious, claiming they had been trying to make a substitution before Shirley had taken the corner, but South Yorkshire referee Luke Lythall was having none of it and the goal was allowed to stand.

Shirebrook had worked hard to get their noses in front and now they just needed to see the remaining two minutes plus stoppage time out to claim all three points from the game.

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But the visitors weren’t done and, stung into action by Moxam’s goal and the realisation they might not now get anything from the game, they threw everything they had left at Shirebrook and, two minutes into time added on at the end, substitute Dave Deane levelled the scores from 16 yards after the ball fell kindly for him from Cook’s hopeful long punt upfield.

It was a real sickener for Shirebrook manager Kevin Gee, who in the end had to settle for just a point from a game that his side looked like they already had won.

Next up Shirebrook Town travel to Central Midlands League Division South side Pinxton FC on Wednesday in the Second Round of the Derbyshire Senior Challenge Cup – a rearranged tie that was originally scheduled for last Tuesday, but had to be postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.

That’s followed with a return to league action on Saturday when Shirebrook welcome West Yorkshire outfit AFC Emley to Langwith Road (3pm).

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SHIREBROOK TOWN: Saxby, Shirley, Claridge, Booth, Diuk, Witcombe, Bacon, Getliff, Moxam, King, Adams. Subs not used: Henshaw, Wiltshire, Bachner, Shepherd, Blair.

GRIMSBY BOROUGH: Cook, Wright, Bensley, Archer, Unsworth, Courtly (Pearson 85), Petronzio, Walsh, Davis (Deane 89), Grant, Waugh. Subs not used: N. Fanthorpe.

REFEREE: Luke Lythall (South Yorkshire).

ATTENDANCE:144.

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