Mangotsfield Utd 2 - 2 Winchester City
City left it late to grab a well-earned point in a physical battle at K.N.Office Supplies Stadium on Saturday 6th September 2015. The game was littered with fouls and shirt pulling which unfortunately disrupted Cit's play. Zach Glasspool appeared to be the main target and almost every ball he went for resulted in him being pulled down.
Winchester were caught cold in the second minute when Scott Brice glanced home a header from a corner by Jake Cox.
City's first chance fell to Glasspool but his shot was just wide and then Rob Flooks headed home at the far post but the Assistant Referee flagged and the Referee ruled out the goal.
Mangotsfield pressed and Brendon Norris got a touch to a free header in the box to push the ball onto the bar and over for a corner.
Just before half time it looked as if City had equalised when Tazz Roberts knocked the ball back to Jamie Barron who beat the 'keeper but just clipped the outside of the post.
City started the second half on the attack with Warren Bentley jinxing into the box only to be bundled off the ball. Despite voracious appeals for a penalty, the Referee waved play-on.
In the next attack Roberts crossed for Dan Cann to head over the bar.
At the other end City's 'keeper. Norris was lucky not to have been sent off when he came flying out of the penalty area to take out an attacker but luckily for him the Referee only gave him a yellow card. He compensated for his rash action a few minutes later when a made a good diving save.
Bentley set up the equaliser in the 71st minute when he crossed for Flooks to head home.
Back on even terms, Manager Paul masters made a double substitution replacing Cann by Geoff Dunn and Micky Hubbard by George Short in the 75th minute to try and force a winner and it nearly worked. Glasspool set up Bentley but he missed with a shot he would have netted nine times out of ten.
The visitors soon regretted the miss when Lewis Powell scoring from a cross from the right in the 81th minute.
With time running out Glasspool was replaced by Matt Benham in the 83rd minute and on this occasion the fresh legs had an effect. Dunn controlled the ball well in the box and slipped it to Barron who rolled it in from close range (88th minute).
Attendance 150.
City: Brendon Norris, Adam Tomasso, Danny King, Jamie Barron, Leigh Mills, Robert Flooks, Adam Roberts, Micky Hubbard, Zach Glasspool, Warren Bentley, Dan Cann, George Short, Luke Benali, Harrison Fay, Geoff Dunn, Matthew Benham
