Harrowby Athletic 2 V 2 Baston FC

<p>Baston visited Harrowby Athletic for this top of the table clash. Baston<br />were missing several key players with keeper Rob Clarke, defender Liam<br />Davies and striker Russ Grimes. Aaron Jesson made his debut in defense<br />with Tom Bedford taking the goalkeeping gloves.<br />&nbsp; <br />Baston started dominantly but struggled to test the goalkeeper with<br />Mindy Valys and Simon Ward guilty of missing the target from good<br />positions. Harrowby have been bolstered by a few quality signings this<br />season, and it was their new striker who broke the deadlock after half<br />an hour, cutting inside and slotting home, giving Tom Bedford no chance<br />in goal. Harrowby sensed further breakthroughs and struck again just<br />before half time with their winger intercepting a loose throw out,<br />running at the defense before squeezing his shot in the bottom corner.<br />Baston trailed at half time 2-0 despite having a lot more possession.<br />&nbsp; <br />Baston came out much brighter in the second half, with Mindy Valys<br />growing into the game and having 3 shots, one blocked by a defender, one<br />missing the target by a couple of feet and the third bringing a<br />brilliant save out of the goalkeeper to turn it around the post.<br />&nbsp; <br />Baston finally found a goal before the hour mark, with Ben Hudson<br />scoring on the swivel from 10 yards out after a goal mouth scramble<br />following a corner to make it 2-1. The big turning point of the game<br />came soon after with Harrowby's already booked central midfielder<br />dismissed for a flying leg breaker on the halfway line.<br />&nbsp;<br />Baston were now completely dominating, and were unlucky not to level as<br />Aaron Jesson saw his shot tipped over the bar, before Ross O'Loughlin's<br />hit the crossbar from 25 yards.<br />&nbsp;<br />Jon Howard came off the bench with 15 minutes left and was immediately<br />in the action as he got to the byline, but his pull back found Simon<br />Ward who couldn't get a shot off. Baston continued to push for an<br />equaliser, and left huge gaps at the back with central defenders Hudson<br />and Jesson both pushed forward. The Harrowby substitute cut inside from<br />the right wing, ran at goal and blasted the ball towards the far corner,<br />forcing Tom Bedford to pull off a wonder-save to keep it out.<br />&nbsp;<br /> <br />Baston were now firmly camped in the Harrowby half, creating chance<br />after chance, and with just two minutes left on the clock, Greg<br />Rawlinson swung in a corner, and after a scramble, the ball looped up to<br />Jon Howard at the back post who showed fine athleticism with an<br />acrobatic bicycle kick, which hit a defender and rolled along the goal<br />line allowing Craig Bullivant the simplest of tap-ins to secure the<br />point for Baston.<br />&nbsp;<br /> <br />Baston remain unbeaten in the league, and sit in second place with 2<br />games in hand over Harrowby. Baston now have a 2 week break from the<br />league, but will play local rivals Baston Athletic in the League Cup on<br />16th October.