Cleethorpes Town 3-3 Clipstone

Cleethorpes Town were pegged back by Clipstone on Saturday afternoon after leading 3-0 at half-time. The Owls raced into a lead through Brody Robertson, Liam Dickens and Matthew Bloomer. But were pegged back through a brace from Nicky Walker and a goal from Josh Scully. Clipstone were reduced to 10 men just before the end.

After a tight opening couple of minutes the Owls took the lead after Luke Mascall’s sublime cross found Robertson who slotted the ball home with ease.

With Clipstone reeling from going behind they looked for a quick reply but the closest they came was when Adam Somes volleys the ball high and wide of Miles Fenty’s goal frame in the 10th minute.

At the other end, and with the Owls in a buoyant mood Jonathan Oglesby tried his luck straight from a corner but quick thinking from Steve Hernandez palmed his cross-shot behind.

The miss of the half came in the 17th minute for Clipstone’s Ryan Oli who sliced the ball wide after great work from Nicky Walker on the wing.

The Owls then put the game beyond any doubt with two goals in as many minutes. First, Dickens collected the ball just inside the Clipstone half. He sprinted 25 yards and unleashed a rasping left footed drive into the top corner giving Hernandez no chance. 90 seconds later Bloomer had the ball in the back of the net as he stabbed the ball home after a melee of chances and crosses in the box.

With no changes at the break the Owls went in search of enhancing their lead, but found the Clipstone defence in defiant mood following a half time dressing down.

It was indeed Clipstone who struck back quickly. In the 56th minuteScully danced his way into the Owls box and smashed the ball past Fenty, the first goals the Owls had conceded in the league for 333 minutes.

Within eight minutes Clipstones had pulled another goal back. Walker broke with Ashmore and a one-two find the former who smashed the ball left footed past Fenty giving the visitors hope.

The Owls had chances to extend the lead through Cooper but he headed over from a Dickens free kick with 19 minutes to go.

Then Scully and Walker both had chances to level the game but Scully’s shot was blocked into the path of Walker but the ball could not be turned home.

The visiting fans did not have long to wait though for the equaliser as in the 79th minute Walker got his second of the game as he bungled home a Somes cross.

The red mist ascended upon Somes as just 30 seconds later he was sent for an early bath by the referee as has been adjudged to have grabbed Dickens around his throat.

The Owls huffed and puffed but could not break down the Clipstone defence even after going 3-4-3 with Louis Grant coming on for centre-back Keiran Wressell.