Shepshed Dynamo 3-3 Lye Town

Dynamo refuse to lie down to snatch late point

By Lucas Monk

Shepshed Dynamo mounted an impressive late fightback to salvage a 3-3 draw against Lye Town.

There was no shortage of drama on this cold Saturday afternoon at The Dovecote.

Dynamo skipper Jake Betts netted the equalising goal in the seventh minute of added time.

The hosts had trailed 3-1, with Karl Whymark having missed a penalty.

But Betts's late intervention, following Niall Prenderville's header, rescued an improbable point.

The result lifts Shepshed up to fifth position in the Midland Football League table ahead of Tuesday night's League Cup match at home to Long Eaton United. Lye fall to 14th.

Damion Beckford-Quailey made one change to the side that fell to defeat away to Sporting Khalsa in midweek. Pearson Mwanyongo replaced Sam Moore on the right wing.

His side got off to the worst possible start. Ben Billingham's free kick hit Whymark before bobbling into the net on four minutes.

Lye then sought a second against a slumberous Shepshed. Luke Carter tried his luck from outside the box, but Brandon Ganley held his low effort.

The Flyers continued to pile on the pressure. Dynamo failed to clear a measured ball into the box. Ganley had to make a tremendous fingertip save to keep out Lewis Worsey's volley.

Events then took a further turn for the worst.

From the ensuing corner, Jack Pearlman guided a glancing header into the net to double Lye's lead on 22 minutes. It was no less than Shepshed deserved for a slipshod start to the match.

They would not enjoy a meaningful foray forward until the 32 minute. Chris Acott burst down the left and crossed for Matt Melbourne. The striker, though, could only direct his header wide.

That was the last meaningful action of a tepid first half. But Shepshed, in stark contrast to the first, came flying out of the blocks in the second period.

They halved the deficit five minutes into the second half - and in some style, too.

Melbourne smashed a superb volley into the top left corner after receiving an infield pass from Pearson Mwanyongo.

Dynamo were then handed a gilt-edged chance to restore parity four minutes later, when Adam Meacham handballed inside the box.

Whymark assumed the responsibility, but Lye's Kieran Boulcher parried the spot-kick away.

The visitors then threatened to pull clear. Jack Till released Josh McKenzie, who played in Worsey. The midfielder went for goal. Ganley produced another good save to keep his team in the match.

However, the Shepshed shot stopper could do little to prevent Lye from regaining their two-goal lead 17 minutes later.

Worsey fired the ball into the back of the net with a near post finish after Lewis Probert's deflected shot fell into his path.

At this juncture, Dynamo looked dead and buried. They breathed a collective sigh of relief moments later when Till rattled the crossbar after beating Betts in a footrace.

But Beckford-Quailey's men are never inclined to take any lying down.

Determined, they launched a late barrage of attacks. But not before Whymark crashed a fierce shot onto the bar following a corner.

They then forced another corner in the 90th minute.

Lye failed to clear their lines. Prenderville headed the ball into the bottom corner after Melbourne cut it back.

It was a simple goal, aided by some simple-minded defending, but Dynamo were now alive and kicking.

They continued to toil, and they got their reward at the last.

Betts, up from the back, hammered the ball into the top corner from Acott's left wing cross as Shepshed roared back to claim a hard-fought point.

This was far from Dynamo's best performance of the season. The number of times they gave possession away in the first half will not have pleased Beckford-Quailey.

But he will have doubtless been delighted with the spirit and grit and determination his team displayed late on. Shepshed improved considerably in the second period and did enough to rescue a valuable point.

They will now look forward to a respite from league action when they take on Long Eaton United in Tuesday's League Cup clash.

Dynamo: Ganley, Wakeling (Hill 63’), Pheasant, Betts, Acott, Mwanyongo (Roome 70’), Whymark, Prenderville, Hurst (Moore 77’), Thomas, Melbourne.

Unused substitutes: Patrocinio, Morris-Clarke.

Lye: Boucher, Downing, Meacham, Pardoe, Probert, Pearlman, Carter, Worsey (Smith 84’), Till, Billingham, McKenzie.

Unused substitutes: Westwood, Wood, Lawley, Bishop.