Marine 3 Winsford Utd 3

UniBond Premier Division

Nick Smith reports from College Road

TWO goals in the last ten minutes saved Winsford from defeat in a thrilling game which proved there is still plenty of fight left in this team yet.

Draw specialists Marine must be kicking themselves as, for the second time this season, they allowed United to steal an equaliser on the final whistle.

Stalwarts Dave German, with his first goal of the season, and Gary Thomas, were the late saviours, both striking from outside the penalty area.

The drama wasn't exclusive to the dying moments, however, as this frantic finale was mirrored by a sensational spell of four goals in 26 pulsating first half minutes.

The Blues stook the lead on 16 minutes through a splendid volley by Winnie Steele, who tucked the ball into the roof of the net after darting to the near post to meet Steve Shaughnessy's cross.

It sounds silly now, but Winsford looked set to take Marine to pieces before they let them back into the game, and from then it was the other way round.

After 21 minutes, Dave German upended Ricky Bainbridge to concede a needless penalty.

Keeper Chris Knowles, in an attempt to distract taker John Morgan, seemed more pre-occupied with jumping up and rattling his crossbar. Morgan used his common sense and kept the ball on the ground to make it 1-1.

During an endless wave of home attacks, a deflection allowed Neil Sang to chip Marine ahead from the edge of the box in the 37th minute and five minutes later the move of the match ended with John Riglioso squaring the ball for marauding midfielder Trery Fearns, who coolly slotted past Knowles.

This spell of football produced rapturous cheers from the home fans which could have been heard across Merseyside at Goodison Park, where neighbours Everton were once again drawing a blank. They could have done with a trip over to College Road for a lesson on how to stick the ball in the back of the net.

One man not joining in the applause was Blues manager Dalton Steele, whose reaction to his team's demise was less enthusiastic. He delayed his half-time team talk by trudging off the pitch miles behind everyone else, and the first three people he sent back for the second half were ALL his substitutes, including new man Sammy Harris.

None of the changes paid any dividends until the 76th minute, by which time it looked as though both sides had accepted the result. Eddie Hussin found himslf free in the box, rattled the post, and Winsford sensed there might be a way through.

This came when German picked up a clearance 25 yards from goal four minutes later and hammered in a fierce left foot shot.

The tireless full-back then planted a high ball towards Gary Talbot, who spent the last ten minutes as a centre forward, as Winsford went for broke in injury time.

In the excitement, Marine goalkeeper Danny Embleton had a rush of blood, racing out to collect the cross, but Talbot, who had had a header cleared off the line moments earlier, put the keeper under enough pressure to force an error.

Embleton spilt the ball and Thomas sparked scenes of jubilation as he drove it low into the net from the edge of the area.

Winsford: Knowles, German, Harmer, Hibbert, Talbot, Wheeler (Harris 45), Thomas, Lambert (Jones 45), Shaughnessy (Bridge 45), Steele, Hussin.

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