Selston throw away a two-goal advantage

The game started brightly and Selston would take a goal and man advantage just six minutes in.

Aaron Brady’s shot from close range was blocked by the hand of Matt Peberday who was promptly sent off for the offence. Wayne Cooke stepped up and struck the penalty straight down the middle to register the first goal.

Rolls’ ten men kept Selston at bay for a further 15 minutes until Sean Gregory stole the ball from Josh Haskey in midfield, drove towards goal, skipped past the Hucknall centre back and beat the keeper smartly at the near post to make it 2-0.

Selston began to dominate for a time but despite creating several good chances they failed to trouble the scorers further.

On 28 minutes a deep cross from the right evaded everyone but Chay Betteridge lurking at the back post who duly knocked the ball in to the goal from a couple of yards out to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

Selston’s Cooke was replaced on 31 minutes due to injury, 17-year-old Tom Widdowson coming into the fray.

On 38 minutes a high ball evaded Selston’s Rory Davis’s first attempt and Hucknall’s Jack Smith out-muscled the defender and lobbed the stranded Jake Ball from a very tight angle to level the scores at 2-2.

Neither side troubled either keeper further before the break.

Shortly after half-time Selston’s Gary Breach was booked, somewhat harshly, and this was compounded on 54 when Breach received a second yellow and was given his marching orders to level up the personnel on each side.

The game rather petered out after this with very little tempo and seemed to have almost an air of a training session.

The final score of 2-2 was probably a fair reflection over all, with Selston ruing the missed chances when they were on top with the extra man and Hucknall no doubt pleased with their comeback to take a share of the spoils.