A stoppage-time equaliser from Kaiden Barlow earned Daisy Hill a point from a 2-2 draw with Euxton Villa after a dramatic finale at the Plumb Factory Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors looked on target to pick up the three points that would secure them a play-off place in the North West Counties League First Division North, until Barlow struck to ensure Daisy ended March unbeaten in six league and cup games.
Daisy defender Jacob Ridings felt afterwards that in a close-fought game, a point apiece was a fair result.
“It was a difficult game really, a scrappy game, with not much dropping for us and not much for them either,” said Ridings.
“I thought it was a game of low quality if I’m being honest, perhaps partly due to the conditions.
“Two penalties in the game, the ball bobbling a lot and a few mistimed tackles probably emphasises that.
“I think all the goals today were preventable, for both us and them, and if there was ever going to be something that would change the game, it was probably going to be a mistake from either team.
“It’s the type of game that probably earlier in the season, once we went 2-1 down, we would maybe have gone on and conceded more goals and wilted a little bit.
“So I think that is testament to us as a team, that we showed grit and determination to get back into the game.
“We’ve shown again we can mix it with teams who are in and around the play-offs. They made it difficult for us and they have a lot of experience in their team.
“At the end, they will feel they should maybe have cleared their lines, but Kaiden took his chance well, which is brilliant for him and good for the team as well, to get something from the game.
“We said afterwards that while we might feel a bit disappointed that we have only picked up one point, we are unbeaten in March and we just need to try and keep that run going.
“We’ve got a game on Tuesday in which we will start as favourites, and a win there will keep that momentum going until the end of the season, and into next season, and these remaining games are all good tests to measure where we are at.”
Daisy began the game well, and almost took the lead in the second minute with the first chance of the game, when Euxton keeper Oliver Lombard slipped on the greasy surface when collecting a routine back-pass, and recovered just in time to clear the ball away from Daisy full-back Ridings, who came racing in to chase the loose ball.
At the other end, Euxton striker Raj Uppal came close with his side’s first chance on 10 minutes, when his shot on the turn just cleared the bar, but it was Daisy who broke the deadlock on 18 minutes.
A penalty was awarded when a corner from Jake O’Brien struck Euxton captain Alex Colquhoun on the hand and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Regular penalty taker O’Brien stepped up to take the kick, but although Euxton keeper Lombard saved both the penalty and O’Brien’s follow-up shot, the ball then fell into the path of Liam Sheppard who side-footed home from close range to put Daisy ahead.
However, within six minutes Euxton drew level, with O’Brien once again involved in a penalty award, this time being penalised for a challenge on Euxton’s Jack Wyres-Roebuck just inside the box.
Uppal stepped up to rifle the spot-kick high into the net to level the scores, giving Daisy keeper Morgan Newns no chance.
The remainder of the half became a dogged midfield battle, with neither side creating a chance of note.
But after the break, Daisy began well and Sheppard almost scored straight from the restart when he collected a pass from Barlow and raced through on goal, only to drag his shot wide.
Three minutes later Sheppard came close once again with a shot that was parried by the keeper into the path of Alex Dodd, who fired over from 15 yards.
It had been a promising start from Daisy, but the momentum swung in Euxton’s favour when they took the lead 12 minutes into the second half.
The Daisy back line were slow to react to a ball played into Euxton’s Dan Singleton, and the midfielder had time to take a touch before chipping the ball over the advancing Newns to give his side the lead.
As the game wore on, Daisy had plenty of possession but struggled to make any breakthrough against a well-organised visiting defence, who were content to sit in and absorb pressure, while looking to hit on the counter attack.
But as the game moved deep into stoppage time, Daisy’s perseverance finally paid off when Luke Nicholls won a chase for a long ball down the left flank, and cut it back into the path of Barlow, who took a touch before burying a shot past Lombard from 15 yards to earn his side a point.
Daisy are back in action in the North West Counties League First Division North on Tuesday night, when they travel to face Skelmersdale United at the Community Ground in Burscough (7.45pm).
