Shropshire Star

Market Drayton dig deep in dramatic draw

Market Drayton Town brought their dismal run of five successive defeats to a dramatic end in a pulsating 4-4 draw with promotion-chasers Prescott Cables.

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A goal down in just four minutes, Town capped their eight-goal Greenfields thriller with Charlie Knowles leaping over onrushing keeper Ben Barnes to send the ball rolling, with agonising slowness, only a few inches inside the foot of the far post.

It was the fourth time Cables had seen their lead snatched from them by a Town team back to their early season battling best, simply refusing to let the Evo-Stik NPL West’s top scoring side get away from them.

“It was a real blood and guts effort – a great advertisement for this league and the lads can be proud of their contribution to it,” said Town manager Martyn Davies.

“There was no comparison to our recent performances. We were bursting with determination, desire and workrate, pressing them high and creating all sorts of problems.

“We might easily have scored more but, in fairness, they missed chances too so, overall, we’ve got to be happy knowing we were full value for at least a point from a cracking game with one of the competition’s best teams.”

There was little indication of the action-packed contest to come as a classy-looking Cables cruised into a fourth minute lead with a well crafted goal by Jack Lenehan.

Aprehension in Town’s camp was further fuelled as their own hard work ended in the painfully familier disappointments of missed chances.

But they stuck at it and when Desean Martin, impressively growing into a more forward role, burst between two defenders to slot home a superb 26th minute equaliser.

From there it was faster and more furious by the minute. With 38 on the clock Town led 2-1 as Cables central defender Louis Coyne, with Martin snapping at his heels, headed an own goal.

Prescot picked up the challenge, charging onto the offensive. They scored another good goal through James Edgar on 41 minutes and a distinctly dodgy one on 45 when Michael Monaghan converted a penalty he had won – literally, Town would argue – in a spectacular fall.

Six of the ground’s 19 floodlights failed in the second half – but the game went on at full power.

Knowles made it three-apiece on the hour with an excellent run, Cables clawed back the lead through Managhan fifteen minutes later and with fierce contests occupying referee Daniel Robinson all over the playing area, Town finally fought through to force a fully deserved draw.

Town voted Paul McMullen their man of the match and the influx of Prescot followers swelled the attendance to 145, bringing a welcome boost to club funds.