Guisborough Town 3 West Allotment Celtic 3

A 35-YARD piledriver from substitute Paul Blake with virtually the last kick of a dramatic game salvaged a vital point for Guisborough Town in their crucial relegation battle against fellow strugglers West Allotment Celtic last Saturday.

In difficult and challenging conditions, both teams deserved huge credit for producing a highly competitive, end-to-end game of football.

West Allotment hit the post following a corner in the 13th minute, but went ahead on 30 minutes when full back Paul Stoneman put over a good cross and Shaun Ready side-footed the ball home from close in.

Guisborough hit back to equalise just two minutes later when centre forward David Onions got the final touch following a superb Thibault Charmey corner to register his 150th goal for Guisborough in all matches, including friendlies.

But Guisborough’s joy was short-lived as a defensive lapse on 35 minutes saw the ball fall kindly to West Allotment centre forward Dale Pearson, who rounded Town keeper James Dawson and slid the ball into the empty net.

The visitors went 3-1 up just before half-time with a bizarre goal. Stoneman crossed from the right and Guisborough defender Paul Roddam tried to head the ball clear just inches from the ground, but only succeeded in deflecting it past Dawson into the corner of the Guisborough net.

The game was then turned on its head in three crazy minutes before the break. In the second minute of time added on, Thibault Charmey latched on to a loose ball in the West penalty area and clinically lashed it home to pull a goal back for Town. West Allotment were then reduced to 10 men when Pearson was sent off for a second bookable offence when he appeared to go down too easily under a challenge in the Guisborough penalty area.

After the interval, Guisborough were restricted mainly to long-range efforts which went wide or over the bar. Despite being down to 10 men, West Allotment caused the home side problems at times as they mounted several attacks of their own.

With the game ebbing away for the Priorymen, Paul Blake conjured up a glorious equaliser with a rocket of a shot which fairly flew into the far corner to earn Guisborough a priceless point.

Had Guisborough lost the game, they would have been four points behind West at the foot of the table, but they kept the gap to just one point with Blake’s late leveller.

Guisborough manager Steve Dowling said: “It was a big relief to get a point in the end from today’s game, which I thought we deserved. In the first half, we conceded two very sloppy goals, but a goal by Thibault just before half-time was so important to get us back in the game at 3-2.

"In the second half, against 10 men, we dominated possession, but failed to create or convert any real chances until young Paul Blake rifled in a 30-yard screamer to rescue a point for us.

"I cannot fault my lads’ effort today, but I just thought we lacked a bit of quality at times. Both my full backs played well, with Harrison Scott being the pick of the team and worthy of my man of the match award.”