RYTON & CRAWCROOK ALBION 1
ESH WINNING 1
FOR the third successive home game, Ryton & Crawcrook Albion let a 1-0 half-time lead slip and had to settle for a point.
They were held to another 1-1 draw following an entertaining encounter against old rivals Esh Winning in front of a crowd of 175 at The Oldhaulage Stadium last Wednesday night.
Both sides have promotion play-off ambitions in Ebac Northern League Division Two, but a lack of consistency in recent matches means their fate will go down to the wire.
The visitors created the first chance on seven minutes when the ball was launched forward over the heads of two defenders to Cobi Jones, who sent a first-time effort just wide of Brogan Colquhoun's right-hand post.
The Albion keeper was called into action four minutes later when getting down low to gather a snap shot on the angle from centre forward Joe Bates.
Louis Calvert had Albion's first attempt on goal in the 13th minute when dragging a 25-yard shot narrowly wide.
Ryton's top-scorer came close again on the quarter-hour mark, turning on the spot to connect with a flick on in the box, but knocked it just wide of Harry Alderson's left-hand upright.
Albion winger Matty Hayton was next to test Alderson, latching on to a blocked clearance, but the Esh stopper got down well to make the save.
The visitors were firmly on the back foot at this stage, and it came as no surprise when they went behind in the 22nd minute through a goal of the season contender from centre forward Calvert.
Morgan Dart played a great ball forward for Calvert to run on to, and he burst clear of a ponderous Esh defence before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yard strike into the top right corner of the net for his 20th goal of the season in all competitions (1-0).
It should have been 2-0 a minute later when the visitors were carved open again, leaving Hayton in a one-on-one, but Alderson was able to push the ball away from the winger's feet as he tried to round him.
Esh continued to look vulnerable at the back and another break on 24 minutes saw Hayton burst free down the right, and instead of shooting, he unselfishly tried to square it to the unmarked Calvert, but the ball went just behind his team-mate and the chance was lost.
Albion were in total control and only a brilliant acrobatic save from Alderson on the half-hour mark prevented Calvert from scoring a second goal, at full stretch somehow managing to get his finger tips to the centre forward's firm header from a Dart cross and divert it past the post.
Another chance for Albion went begging when an unmarked Joseph Groves-Forbes headed wide a pinpoint Fergus Lynch cross on 35 minutes, but it would be the visitors who created the last clear-cut chance of the half in the 44th minute.
From a long crossfield pass, full-back Tom Merryweather found himself in space just inside the box on the left and beat his man before unleashing a shot which Colquhoun could only parry into a crowd of players, but the ball was swiftly cleared to safety and Albion's slender lead remained intact at the break.
Fortunate to still be in the game, the visitors started the second half brightly and towering striker Bates came close to a 47th minute equaliser when his header from winger Reece Brown's cross was tipped over the bar.
Sam Haynes then found himself in space near the penalty spot, but chose accuracy over power, giving Colquhoun the time to dive low and save his shot.
After being slow out of the blocks since the restart, Albion finally created a couple of half-chances on 54 and 56 minutes.
Great work from Calvert won his side a corner on the right with the resulting delivery only half-cleared to centre half Scott Oldfield, who fired a half-volley over the angle of post and bar, and the rebound from Hayton's blocked shot came back to substitute Rhys McLeod on the edge of the box but his rising drive cleared the bar.
At the other end, Brown cut inside from the right and his cross was blocked by Colquhoun's legs at the expense of a corner.
With the pressure gradually building on the Albion goal, it seemed only a matter of time before their defence was breached and the equaliser duly arrived in the 64th minute through Jones.
Bates floated over a pinpoint cross from the right which picked out Jones, who powered a header past Colquhoun for his 14th league goal of the season (1-1).
The visitors' defensive weaknesses reappeared in the 67th minute when a routine ball over the top wasn't dealt with, Hayton nipping in to pinch possession, but he was crowded out by a combination of Andrew Taylor's well-timed tackle and the advancing Alderson before he could get a shot away.
Down the other end, Merryweather's cross from the left cleared the Albion rearguard and dropped at the back post fractionally in front of Bates, who prodded it wide.
Esh Winning's man of the match Alderson came to his side's rescue again on 73 minutes when he palmed McLeod's 25-yard thunderbolt, that looked destined for the top corner, past the post for a corner.
The game's most controversial incident occurred in the 83rd minute when Calvert, fouled more than once on a weaving run from the centre circle, was finally scythed down by Taylor inside the box but, to the amazement of the home fans, referee Oliver Cairney awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area after booking the full-back instead of pointing to the spot.
The resulting set-piece was fired into the wall and, in the last minute of normal time, McLeod had a shot blocked with a follow-up effort sailing over the bar.
However, the drama wasn't over as the floodlights went out in the first of four minutes stoppage time but, after a short wait and with no prospect of play resuming, Cairney blew for full-time in the darkness.
Both sides received a small boost after the final whistle with news that Thornaby (fourth) had lost 4-2 at home to Sunderland West End.
With eight games to play, Albion (sixth) are now only one point behind Chester-le-Street United who occupy the final promotion play-off spot.
Frustrated that his side had again spurned numerous chances, Albion manager Nathan Beckham said afterwards: ''We probably don't deserve to be in the play-offs if we can't beat a team like Esh Winning.''
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