After last weeks huge win over league-leaders South Normanton Athletic, the lads were back in action at home to Holbrook Sports. The return game back in August had yielded a last minute winner for us from Griffiths.

Walmsley, A Moore, Goodband and Gosling were all unavailable, R Moore, Gorman and Turrell came into the side on the bench. The first 10 minutes looked bright for the home side, and plenty of space and free time was given by Holbrook. But the first goal of the game went to the away side against the run of play. A mistake at the back saw the centre forward capitalise and finish into an empty net. The goal buoyed the visitors and now they seemed to have found a second gear. It nearly was 2 minutes later, as a deflected shot hit the bar.

Peverley was replaced early by Nkrumah through injury. Dynamos play became scrappy, but on 30 minutes Griffiths was upended by the keeper and from 12 yards Holbrooks shot-stopper pulled off a good save low-down to his left. With half-time approaching, the lads needed to find their way back into the game, and they found what they were looking for as a well worked move was poked home by Bodill.

Half-time 1-1.

For 10 minutes into the second half, Dynamo were the better team, and they got their reward as Muir produced a smart finished into the bottom left-hand corner. Although now in the lead, Holbrook were very much still in the game and a series of needless free-kicks given away by us lead to the equaliser, as the substitute finished from close range.

Into the final stages and the lads looked leggy and the side unbalanced. As we still looked for the winner, the game was stretched and a through-ball by the away side led to an initial penalty appeal being waved away, but the next phase of play and some more ill-disciplined defending saw the linesman signal for a penalty. Dean guessed the right way but the ball snuck in to give Holbrook the win.

All-in-all a very scrappy game and nowhere near the standards we’ve set ourselves over the previous weeks. Yes, missing a few key players, but that can’t be an excuse and the lads that pull the shirt on need to be prepared to work harder to get the results they want.

Hopefully we can put it right starting this week at home to AFC Normanton.