Crows continue indifferent form with point

                        Royston Town's Harvey Beckett celebrates his last-gasp equaliser.

A last-gasp equaliser from Harvey Beckett rescued a draw for Royston Town against Stamford at Garden Walk, in a match where the visitors would have come away massively disappointed to have not picked up all three points.

A header from Ashton Offler had put the visitors in front ten minutes into the second half and a dramatic conclusion to the match saw Stamford’s Jack Duffy receive a second yellow card, before Beckett struck, albeit fortuitously as a defensive clearance struck his leg before finding the back of the net.

The two teams came into the encounter on very similar runs of form, both with two wins in their last six. On paper, a draw seemed inevitable, but the manner in which a draw occurred seemed impossible after Stamford’s near dominance throughout.

Graham Drury’s Dannies side were a real threat on the counter attack throughout, and their first chance of the game on seven minutes was a strong indication of this fact. Richard Gregory found Charlie Marzano who slowed the pace of the counter down, before eventually deciding to go solo, his effort from the edge of the box was beaten away by Jamie Head in the hosts’ net.

Top scorer and captain Duffy, who notched a hat trick in the reverse fixture to help Stamford to a 3-1 victory at the Zeeco Stadium back in November, was kept relatively quiet by the Crows’ defence throughout but was able to get a cross into the box after good play on the right-hand side. Gregory was ready to attack the ball with a volley, but Royston centre back Adam Murray got a vital touch to take the ball away from the Stamford number 10.

The hosts’ captain Murray was impressive throughout, particularly in the air, and was called into defensive action again on the stroke of half time. Tendai Chitiza, who had come on for the injured Gregory minutes before, was presented with a golden opportunity following another counter attack, with Head out of position, but his shot was blocked excellently by the head of Ollie Reeve on the line. Murray flew himself at the rebound from Kai Tonge ensuring that the Crows’ clean sheet was intact, albeit for the time being, and making sure that the match was goalless at the break.

The second half was largely more of the same, Royston not offering much in attack, with Stamford waiting for their opportunity to pounce on the counter.

And they got their reward on 55 minutes. A pinpoint delivery from a corner from Conor Bartle found the head of the unmarked Offler, who did not even need to jump, but rather guide the ball with his head into the corner of the Royston net, to delight the large travelling contingent from Lincolnshire and register his second goal of the season.

The visitors twice struck the crossbar as they searched for the all-important second goal: a deep cross from Marzano on the right had Head worried, but fortunate to see the ball rebound off the crossbar. Tonge tried to force the rebound into the net but good defending from Royston prevented a second for the Dannies.

And with ten minutes to play, ex-Harborough man Tonge, who was a nuisance for the Royston defence throughout, found the ball fall to him following a long Bartle throw-in but he was perhaps too emphatic with his finish when well-placed, and the ball cannoned off the crossbar for the second time.

With 87 minutes on the clock, and Stamford beginning to implement game-management strategies, Murray committed a late tackle on Duffy who overreacted and both went into the book. Shortly after the referee indicated a minimum of six minutes of added time, talisman Duffy saw a second yellow card as a midfielder tried to break with the ball for Royston.

The Crows, who up until stoppage time had barely threatened the Stamford defence, won a free kick in a good position with two minutes of stoppage time played. The ball was delivered into the box, a Stamford leg hacked it clear, but the ball inexplicably rebounded off the leg of Beckett and into the back of the net. Stamford were stunned, Royston jubilant.

The full-time whistle blew five minutes later after little action and a half-hearted attempt from Royston to try to snatch all three points. The card-happy match referee dished out eight yellow cards, including the two given to Duffy, and although this was not a dirty match, the feistiness of Duffy, eventually costing his team, is how this otherwise fairly unmemorable draw will be characterised.

Next up for the Hertfordshire club is a trip to Redditch United on Saturday 1^st March, while Stamford travel to bottom side Biggleswade Town on Tuesday.

 

Royston Town: Head, Asafu-Adjaye, Coldicott-Stevens, Murray (C), Beckett, Weyman (Johnson, 79’), Akubuine (Baker, 66’), Reeve (Anyadike, 66’), Toiny-Penred (Harness, 66’), Greene, Locke. Substitutes (not used): Rabstein.

Goals: Beckett. Bookings: Asafu-Adjaye, Murray, Harness.

 

Stamford: Jackson, Marzano, Bartle, Offler, Cooke, Blunden, Tonge, Hobbins, Duffy (C), Gregory (Chitiza, 32’), Shaw. Substitutes (not used): Bennett, Heath, Matwasa, Liversidge.

Goals: Offler. Bookings: Jackson, Bartle, Hobbins. Red cards: Duffy.