Five without defeat but Wrens are kicking themselves

RAINWORTH may have stretched their unbeaten run to five matches, but there was disappointment in the Kirklington Road camp that they were unable to stretch their winning run to four following a 2-2 home draw with Market Drayton Town.

The Wrens were looking to make it four wins on the bounce, and had looked well on their way at 2-0 up just after half time, albeit aided by a bit of good fortune.
But they were then guilty of taking their eyes off the ball, letting the Shropshire side back in to haul themselves level and look the more likely winners as the home side spent most of the second period on the back foot.
It was a flat performance by the Wrens, their flattest of the season according to manager Kevin Gee afterwards. But, as he also pointed out: “We’ve played badly but we’ve got the point which means we have completed our second 10 points in four matches.
“The lads are quite down after letting a two goal lead slip, but if we can keep on taking 10 points from four games we are going to be well up the table at the end of the season.”
Rainworth led through a 19th-minute own goal. Keeper Joe McCormack sent a long range free kick to the right of the Drayton box, Town left back Ryan Connor tried a headed clearance, and watched in horror as it flew over the stranded Andy Price and into the net.
Rainworth were enjoying the better of the first half despite some troublesome forays by Drayton’s Robert Stephenson, making his debut on his return to the club from Leek Town.
And the home side looked set to double their lead as Karl Slack broke from a Town corner, only to be robbed on the edge of the visitors’ 18-yard box at the end of a sparkling run.
At this stage it was almost as if the Drayton defence were trying to gift the points to Rainworth on a plate as they struggled to clear their lines, but the Wrens were unable to capitalise until two minutes into the second half when they doubled their lead with a messy goal. Slack again broke clear but miskicked, the ball fell to Blair Anderson who saw his shot blocked, but Ian Holmes was on hand to finish from close range.
They say that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead to hold, and so it proved, for within five minutes the visitors were on their way back. Matt Johnson floated a free kick into the area, keeper Joe McCormack flapped at and missed his attempted punch, and the ball ended in his net without a further touch.
That was just the spur Drayton needed to get back in the game. They pushed Rainworth back for long periods, with the home side relying on counter-attacks, but it was another set piece goal that undid the Wrens in the 67th minute, when another long free kick into the area found Martyn Davies unmarked in the box and the Town skipper had the simplest of chances to knock the equaliser into the net.
Both sides had chances for a late winner. But Delroy Fox’s free kick from just utside the area was too high, and at the other end Kieran Walker made good ground to meet Blair Anderson’s deep centre but volleyed horribly high and wide.
RAINWORTH: McCormack, Walker, Hanson, Camm, Kitchen, Burton, J. Holmes, Bacon, Slack (Turner 68), I. Holmes, Anderson. Subs not used: Cooksey, Goward, Barcherini.
MARKET DRAYTON: Price, Jones, Connor (Rogers 63), Sweatnam, Cohen, Blake, Stephenson, Johnson, Fox, Davies, Proffitt (Humphreys 81). Subs not used: Ryan, Cooke.
REFEREE: Nigel Smith of Chesterfield.
ATTENDANCE: 58.
WRENS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Camm.