Northern Counties East League (Division One)
Saturday 14th August 2021
Sam Kitchen struck a last-gasp injury-time equaliser as Rossington Main broke North Ferriby's resistance to earn a dramatic yet totally deserved point from an exhilarating battle at Oxford Street.
Title favourites Ferriby seemed on course for success after Dan East's first half opener, but they squandered a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 on the hour mark when Jamie Forrester saw his penalty expertly palmed away by Kian Johnson.
Danny Emerton was then red carded for a tackle on Rozzo player-manager Ben Hunter which resulted in a tidal wave of pressure as the hosts pressed intensely for an equaliser during the closing stages.
And it looked for all the world as if Hunter's injury-hit team would come up short against a dogged and determined Ferriby defence, right up until the penultimate minute of injury-time when Kitchen provoked absolute jubilation to stab the ball into an empty net after Tyla Bell's shot rebounded off the post.
The equaliser was a fitting finale to a spirited second half performance which epitomised collective heart, desire and determination, and Rossington will now be hoping to build on this well-earned point when they travel to Hallam on Tuesday.
Due to other commitments, I arrived late at Oxford Street and missed the opening 40 minutes or so. Anything that happened during that period can't be commented on by myself, but reliable sources inform me that it was a period during which North Ferriby started strongly, dictated play and were quite good value for the 1-0 lead which they established. They also had a further goal disallowed not long before I turned up, and a penalty appeal waved away.
The first notable (and contentious!) incident which I witnessed with my own eyes came just before half-time when a visiting attacker was brought down on the edge of the area by Jordan Buckham. It looked suspicious and to be inside the area though the referee just gave a free-kick which ultimately came to nothing!
The 1-0 scoreline at the interval meant Hunter, who was already on the pitch having replaced the injured Jamie Green, and Rossington had plenty of work to do in the second half and what they produced was a hearty performance full of faultless endeavour and commitment.
Paul Sherburn went close to an equaliser when his glancing connection from Hunter's set-piece delivery, given after Jack Watson had been cynically fouled, went just a whisker wide of the target. Jason Stokes' high pressing forced a mistake from the Ferriby 'keeper a couple of minutes later before the visitors rode their luck to extreme proportions on 55 minutes. In a bizarre scenario which bore hallmarks to Mathias Doumbe's own goal for Northampton Town many years ago, an intended clearance from well outside the area was sliced up and over the back-peddling 'keeper who watched anxiously as the ball bounced off the post instead of ending up in the net.
Rossington were gutted, Ferriby relieved and it remained 1-0...
However, within minutes, controversy erupted at the opposite end of the pitch when Conner Williamson was judged to have handled the ball inside the box. Despite next to no appeals, the referee was perfectly positioned to make the decision and pointed to the spot - provoking furious protests by Rossington players which saw Sherburn 'sin-binned' for letting the official know his views on the matter.
Responsibility fell on the shoulders of Kian Johnson to save his team from going further behind and the young 'keeper read the situation perfectly to pull off a tremendous saving - diving to his left to palm away Forrester's spot-kick. The screams of celebration from the stands had barely even started before a tough challenge on Hunter by Emerton resulted in a five-minute fracas which ended with the Ferriby player being dismissed.
The referee's handling of the game, even to someone who arrived late, seemed weak and at times it was definitely a case of 'whoever shouts loudest gets the decision'. Granted, it certainly didn't appear to be an easy game to officiate though a more experienced (or more competent) official may have been better equipped to manage things. Both teams experienced decisions which left them aggrieved and Sherburn was in the 'sin-bin' for nearly 20 minutes before finally being able to return to the pitch - despite the referee saying he could come back on in three minutes at one point, only to say 'three more minutes' once the initial time had elapsed.
Importantly, Rozzo still needed to get back on level terms and with North Ferriby's 10-men happy to sit back and defend their lead, it invited pressure.
Watson found himself in a glorious position with around a quarter-of-an-hour to go when he was slipped through but his cross-cum-ball across the goalmouth didn't go in. Bailey Conway, off the bench for his first appearance in a few weeks having been sidelined by injury, then had a positive impact as he showed good work and tenacity to link up with others - providing an inviting pass which was dummied by Watson for Niall Doran whose effort was saved.
Tyla Bell, who'd been in full kit and ready to come on for some 20 minutes before his eventual introduction, eventually appeared for the final 10 minutes plus injury-time but the next player to go close was Hunter with a free-kick from distance which needed more quality. Louis Thwaites then also had a shot off a well-worked corner that went wide of the target.
Rozzo's frustrations remained - some of the build-up play was good but the ball just wasn't going in.
As to be expected given the scoreline, Ferriby took an age over every goal-kick and set-piece in a concerted effort to run the clock down. The 'keeper (who it has to be said was excellent) fell to the floor after claiming every ball into the box in another bid to eat away precious seconds and it surprised many when only six minutes of injury-time were awarded. There should have been more.
It was starting to get to 'desperate measures' time for Rossington and when Gary Mundy, later to receive the Man Of The Match award, let fly with a 35-yard effort the ball cleared the upright and scared a few birds as it crashed against a tree. A similar effort less than two minutes later by Thwaites was blocked.
Ferriby's supporters - some more playful than others, were probably starting to get excited at the prospect of bagging three points but in the fifth minute of injury-time, those dreams were dashed in dramatic style as the hosts deservedly equalised.
Bell did excellently to bring the ball under control and wrestle off a defender before feeding possession to Doran. The pair linked up again before the substitute ventured away and took up a position on the edge of the box in anticipation of a pass from his team-mate. When it arrived, Bell unleashed a low shot which took the slightest of deflections and cannoned back off the post and across goal to Kitchen who was in the right place at the right time to poke it home and spark jubilation.
The equaliser was a rewarding moment for the endeavour, superb attitude and collective desire showed during the second half. Ferriby's players sank to their knees in dejection - they were wounded knowing they had come so, so close to earning a vital win but had agonisingly been pegged back at the last moment.
Despite Rossington's lengthy injury problems at present, the result proves they can give anyone a game in this league and they'll be hoping to pick up more points in the coming weeks with Armthorpe Welfare, Teversal, Shirebrook Town and Hall Road Rangers visiting Oxford Street on the next four Saturdays - not to mention a few away games too!
Special mentions for Sam Kitchen who has put in some quality displays and been one of most consistent performers in recent games which I've watched, Tyla Bell who has had a major impact from the bench in the past couple of outings (the big goat just needs a goal now!), Bailey Conway who thrust himself straight into things from the moment he arrived on the pitch, Gaz Mundy who was terrific (bar that long-range late pot shot), Kian Johnson for the penalty save, and also Ben Hunter who has been a virtuoso figure in helping to get the team going a few times in challenging circumstances.
Next Up (for me personally): AFC Wimbledon vs Gillingham on Tuesday.
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