Injury time heartbreak for Shirebrook
Shirebrook Town returned to action for their second home game of the week against Pinchbeck United, and spirits were high off the back of their first win of the season against Dronfield Town last Tuesday night
It was a very quiet start with neither side having any major chances in the opening 10 minutes but the game would burst into life not long after as Shirebrook would twice go close in a matter of minutes.
The first chance fell to Kian Tansley who saw his shot saved by the Pinchbeck keeper, the second falling to Sam Dockwray who saw his shot go just wide of the post. But the visitors also looked dangerous as Harrison Kissane was kept busy in the Shirebrook goal as he was called into action to keep out a Flynn Slater effort.
The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute when Archie Ward crossed to Kian Tansley who fired past the Pinchbeck keeper to give Shirebrook the lead, and the team would go on to dominate the rest of the half. Chances fell to Kian Tansley, Archie Ward, Harvey Limb, Sam Dockwray and Carter Widdowson to extend the Shirebrook lead but these were not converted and as the players went off for half time it was Shirebrook who had a narrow advantage.
As the second half got underway the first chance of the half fell to Pinchbeck as Nathan Stevens cross found Freddie Shinn who headed over the bar. As the half went on it would resemble the first half where Shirebrook were creating a number of chances but poor finishing meant they didn’t add to the lead with Kian Tansley, Sam Dockwray, Harvey Limb and subs Nathan Clarke and Declan Brewin all having the opportunity to make the game safe for Shirebrook.
In injury time Shirebrook had their best chance of the half as Dec Brewin managed to beat the offside trap and raced towards goal and as he went round the Pinchbeck keeper he knocked the ball wider than he wanted to making his angle tighter and was only able to put hit shot into the side netting.
And there was to be a late sting in the tale for Shirebrook as, from the resulting goal kick, Pinchbeck raced away down the pitch. A cross from the right found Owen Sherriff who headed past Kissane to level and with very little time left on the clock Shirebrook had to settle for a point in a game they really should have taken all three points from.
Shirebrook starting XI: Kissane B. Clarke McKenna (Jules) L. Widdowson C. Widdowson Henshaw Ward (Burbanks) Hartley (N. Clarke) Limb (Brewin) Dockwray (Geeson) Tansley