Stone Old Alleynians 3, Vauxhall Motors 3.
Defending the last remaining unbeaten league record, Stone OA were put to the sword by a ruthless Vauxhall side – only for the visitors to cave in and allow the hosts to retain their undefeated tag, despite being 3-0 down after just 28 minutes! It really was a case of Motors throwing away two crucial Hallmark Security League points.
The visitors got off to a great start, when an inch-perfect corner from Ben Holmes was headed home by captain Tom Mitchell from close in, his third goal in successive games after just six minutes. It became 2-0 on 24 minutes when a superb through ball from Kynan Mason put Holmes in the clear and his shot rebounded in off the underside of the bar. And four minutes later it was 3-0 as Damase Kiwanda fired home in style from just inside the area.
It now just looked like a case of how many Motors may score on route to a handsome victory – but the game surprisingly turned on its head. The hosts comeback began in the 41st minute. Stone forced Motors keeper Kristofer Leigh into a save low down at the expense of a corner and from the resulting flag kick, tricky striker Jack Tomlinson rose at the far post to head home.
Motors began the second half in decent fashion and had good chances to regain their three-goal cushion early on through Holmes and Tom Murray but the substitutions of both Kevin Exell and Murray from the midfield seemed to upset the visitors, who were now on the back foot. And on 64 minutes, Stone reduced the arrears further when sloppy defending allowed Matt Thomas to slip the ball beyond Kristoper to make it 3-2. Both sides went close before the hosts completed their unlikely comeback on 82 minutes, when Tomlinson scored a great flicked goal from a left wing cross to level up the scores….and leave Motors frustrated in the extreme!
Vauxhall: Leigh, Quinn, Mason, Scarisbrick, Mitchell, Cooper, Exell (Drysdale 55), Murray (Brandon 62), Holmes, Kiwanda, Cross. Subs not used: Courtnell, Lavelle.