Late penalty sees points shared in six goal thriller

Jackson bags brace and Stewart continues scoring streak

Norwich United 3 Tilbury 3
Bostik League North Division
Two key refereeing decisions by George Byrne will leave Norwich United wondering what might have been after they were denied victory by a controversial penalty three minutes from time. The point, however, took the Planters unbeaten run to seven games.
The Planters had led after just three minutes, a quick break saw Adam Hipperson carry the ball from deep and into the Tilbury box before squaring for Liam Jackson who sidefooted the ball home from 10 yards out.
Toby Aromolaran latched onto a long ball forward but Sam Watts and Andy Wilton did well to nullify the danger and the move ended with Izzy Adebayo shooting wide from distance.
The lead didn’t last long however and a patient build up in the 12th minute saw Tom Anderson latch onto a ball through the middle and slot home from close range.
Nine minutes later and the Dockers were in front, the impressive Toby Aromolaran cut in from the left and his shot was saved by Andy Wilton but it was bundled home by on hand Charlie Little.
This sparked the Planters into life and almost immediately Nathan Stewart played in Hipperson wide on the right and his shot was tipped over by Docker’s keeper Russell Harley.
A minute later and Stewart jinked into the area before cutting back from the byline, his cross however was just behind Jackson.
Stewart grabbed the equaliser in the 28th minute, receiving the ball some 25 yards out, he dismissed an option of playing the ball out to the right wing deciding to take a stride towards goal before arrowing a fine shot into the far bottom corner.
Moments later Stewart almost put the Planters in front, bringing the ball down in a crowded area he wrong footed a defender before shooting and bringing a good save from Harley at the expense of a corner.
The Planters were ahead after 34 minutes however, a long range shot from Hipperson was spilled by Harley and Jackson pounced to round the keeper and slot home from an acute angle on the left.
Andy Wilton comfortably held an Aromolaran shot from distance whilst at the other end good defending by Abdus Salami denied Jackson a run on goal.
Whereas the pitch seemed skiddy in the first half, after the break it seemed heavier and this may have contributed to more solid defending in the second half.
A well timed tckle by Sam Applegate denied substitute Dwade James a run down the right, whilst the other end Adam Hipperson was brought down by Siu Odelusi wide on the left earning the Docker’s defender a yellow card, Hipperson’s resultant free kick curled just wide of the far post.
Hipperson was giving Odelusi a torrid time and the defender committed an identical foul a few minutes later, but this time he was lucky to escape a second yellow, the referee letting him off with a warning!
In a rare second half shot on goal for the Dockers Adam Vyse curled a shot well wide from distance.
Stewart attempted a curling ball in from wide on the left which was pushed over at the near post by Harley and the keeper turned Watts header at the far post behind for a corner.
Just when it looked as though the Planters had done enough to ensure the points the Dockers were awarded a penalty, despite the Tilbury player looking to be already on the way down in a crowded box the referee pointed to the spot and Jack Carlile netted from the spot.
Norwich United: Wilton, Mackie, Applegate, Wones, Eastaugh, Watts, Henery (Probert 66), Pollock (Datocampol 90), Stewart (Carroll 84), Jackson, Hipperson.
Tilbury: Harley, Odelusi (McWee 74), Turpin, Anderson, Benoit, Salami, Little, Carlile, Vyse, Aromolaran (James 48), Abebayo (Dance 60).
Referee: George Byrne. Assistants: Ryan Thurbin & Edward Frazer.
Attendance: 76.

Photo: Liam Jackson scores his second goal against Tilbury, Credit: Denise Bradley (Archant)