Shifnal pay price for spot-kick miss
Depleted Shifnal Town were left empty-handed despite staging a rousing comeback at home to Hereford Lads Club.
Mark Wells’ men welcomed last season’s promoted West Midlands League Division One outfit Hereford to Phoenix Park and after cancelling out the visitors’ two-goal lead were unable to hold on for a point.
Shifnal, who had fallen behind to a Lads Club third 10 minutes from time, passed up a chance to draw level in the final minute as Dan Taylor was denied from the spot.
The hosts’ suspension list, including goalkeeper Jake James, skipper George Williams, Joe Delacoe, Harrison Barrett and Sean Pugh, caught up with them, with Wells also without many of his men for next week’s clash at Dudley Sports.
Williams, Delacoe and Barrett have all been missing since the goalless draw with Ellesmere a fortnight ago, where they dismissed following a fracas at full-time.
Liam Jones’s close-range follow up and Kier Cowley’s drive from distance had the visitors comfortably ahead, before Brandon Taylor got his side back into it before the break, smashing home low from Ben Novis’ pull-back.
With 25 minutes remaining the home side hauled themselves back on level terms through Taylor, who shot under Steve Bell after cutting in from the left.
Sub James Fennessey notched the close-range winner for the away side with 81 minutes on the clock.
Late drama followed as Novis was brought down in the box three minutes into added time, but Taylor’s effort from 12-yards was kept out by Bell.
“The suspensions have cost us,” admitted Wells. “They’re key players in key areas. We’re trying to scrape by but it was one to forget. I think players will look at the bench at the moment and know that they won’t be taken off.
“It’s a game we should have got something out of. We’ll look back at the end of the season where we could’ve won points.”
AFC Bridgnorth heaped more misery on Wellington Amateurs with a 4-1 win at Wickes Stadium, lifting the visitors up to eighth, while Amateurs stay bottom.
Ellesmere Rangers, in seventh, lost 4-3 at Smethwick. They return to the Black Country with a trip to Tividale tomorrow night.
