The first half saw the Bears in the ascendancy and they won a couple of early corners, which came to nothing. Good defending by the visitors kept out a strong attack with two excellent blocks put in.

The opening Bears goal came on 13 minutes. Jack Disney collected the ball wide on the left, his cross was half blocked but fell to Mini Adegbenro, who calmly stroked the ball home.

The Bears now applied the pressure and won a succession of corners, one of which saw Haslam in the away goal tip a cross from Tom Stephens over the bar. Charnock’s first real chance fell to top scorer Grimshaw who turned and shot all in one movement but Tom Morris reacted well to block for a corner, from which the Bears counter attacked but the ball was cleared. Craig Ellison was on hand to turn another Grimshaw shot out for a corner and then Morris cleared a Carsley shot off the line.

From a 35 yard free kick, Tom Schofield fancied his chances and hit a screamer that just cleared the bar with the keeper worried. On 40 minutes it was 2-0. Recent signing Paul Speed, who was making his first start, picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and produced a perfect chip over the keeper into the top corner. Speed was almost there again two minutes later, Adegbenro with a neat ball into the box but Haslam gathered.

The final action of the half saw Dan Cope with a couple of chances, shooting wide with the first then hitting a low cross through the box, which no one collected.

Half Time Congleton 2-0 Charnock Richard

The early exchanges of the second saw were fairly even with both sides creating openings but no finish. Five minutes of total Bears dominance saw first Billy Hasler-Cregg shoot from 30 yards after a clearance was blocked, Haslam palmed it away for a corner, then he was there again as Saul Henderson cut in and saw his shot tipped over the bar. Cope then robbed Turner, slipped the ball into Adegbenro, who was in plenty of space, but his shot went wide.

There looked to be only one winner of this game on the hour as the Bears pushed for the third goal and Henderson again saw Haslam tip his shot over the bar then Anthony Griffith shot over from 20 yards.

On 68 minutes, against the run of play, Charnock got back in the game. A long put downfield found Grimshaw and his touch played in Oxley who fired past Ellison, 2-1. The visitors were level five minutes later. Davison made a strong run and found Grimshaw in the box, he hammered it home, 2-2. The Bears were looking stunned and the turn around and made a double sub, bringing on Bevan Burey and Dan Steve Foster from Adegbenro and Cope.

A let off for the Bears two minutes later as Grimshaw again was in on goal, but the flag was raised then Noblet raced forward, beat the defence but saw his shot go just wide.

The Bears went back in front with 7 minutes remaining. A Bears free-kick was played into the box, bounced out and Speed hammered home on the volley from 20 yards, cue deep joy for the Bears faithful. Unfortunately Charnock and Grimshaw in particular, had other ideas. With two minutes to go, Davison crossed into the Bears box and the league’s leading scorer turned the ball into the net. 3-3. The final action saw the Bears saved by another off-side flag as Grimshaw raced in for his hat-trick.

Full Time Congleton Town 3-3 Charnock Richard

Team: Ellsion, Schofield, Disney, Stephens, Morris, Griffith, Hasler-Cregg, Speed, Cope (Foster 77), Henderson, Adegbenro (Burey 77)
Unused: Peters, Warburton, Jamieson

Manager Brian Pritchard said after the game “It’s annoying from our point of view and we have to rediscover our ruthless streak in February.

The Bears have no game this weekend and their next will be a trip to Barnoldswick on 12th February.