Shepshed Dynamo were within minutes of claiming their first victory of 2024. But two late goals cruelly denied them as Anstey Nomads claimed the points, subjecting Shepshed to their third consecutive away defeat of January in the Pitching in Northern Premier League Midland Division.

Shepshed knew they had a tough challenge ahead of them as Anstey Nomads had lost just one league game all season. Dynamo took the game to The Nomads and were rewarded early on in the game. Moving the ball out from the back Zayn Hakeem initially picked the ball up on the halfway moved it onto Charlie Wakefield who found the returning Reece Morris on the edge of the are who slid the ball back to Hakeem who moved to the left of two defenders to make the opening to slot passed Jack Laban to give Shepshed a fourth minute lead.

Dynamo then came under pressure with Brandon Ganley saving from Freddie Robinson on eight minutes and Nyle Blake fired straight at Ganley a minute later.

Anstey looked uncomfortable when Shepshed attacked them and Shaun Ruzvidzo fired wide on eighteen minutes.

Shepshed were then put under severe pressure with a barrage of shots going over Ganley's first former Shepshed defender Joel Wolfe on twenty six minutes then Henry Bestwick on thirty two minutes and a minute later top scorer Luis Rose.

Rose then had an effort blocked on thirty six minutes and on thirty nine minutes Blake's free kick sailed over the crossbar.

Shepshed sustained the pressure and had the last chance of the half on forty minutes Ruzvidzo supplying Morris forcing a save from Laban as Dynamo went into the break in front.

Dynamo came out from the break strongly and had chances to kill the game off early in the half Charlie Wakefield clean through but the heavy pitch thwarted his run and Nomads defence was able to get back for his shot to go straight to Laban on forty six minutes. A minute later and Hakeem should have made it two he broke clear of the Nomads defence and rounded Laban with just a defender on the line to beat he couldn't control his shot off balance and fired over.

Anstey responded with Lewis Gibbens firing over on fifty minutes.

Chances were coming for both teams with Ruzvidzo finding Hakeem in space his shot rattling the hosts crossbar on fifty one minutes. Anstey went straight up the other end with Corey Armeni shooting into Ganley.

Anstey were beginning to put the pressure back onto Shepshed with Ganley saving from Bestwick on sixty two minutes. Four minutes later and Armeni's free kick was safely gathered by Ganley.

Bestwick was to go close on seventy minutes with his shot deflected into the side netting and two minutes later Rose fired wide.

Shepshed were reduced to ten men on seventy three minutes Morris had already been booked for supposedly time wasting and the smallest man on the pitch was deemed to have infringed with a high challenge and was shown a second yellow.

Anstey ramped up their attack and Bestwick, substitute Jacob Fenton and Blake combined well with the latter firing wide. Then on eighty seven minutes Ganley saved superbly form Jordan Annable's acrobatic over head kick.

Anstey levelled on eighty nine minutes from a right handed cross Ant Lynn was given a free header passed Ganley into the top corner.

As the game went into injury time Ganley was then forced into a save from Fenton.

Shepshed's hearts were broken deep into injury time Armeni's corner from the left hand side going directly into Shepshed's goal with the forlorn stretched foot of a defender unable to stop it from going in the net. Protests from Ganley who felt he had been bundled into the goal were waved away and the goal stood with little time for Shepshed to level.

Football can be a cruel game some days and this was one of them. Every player in a Shepshed shirt stood tall and gave everything but devastatingly it was not to be. The disappointment was etched on the Shepshed players faces but they can be proud of the performance they had put in and continue to play in that manner the results will surely sooner rather than later return.

Shepshed finally return to The Dovecote Stadium for the first time on Saturday with the visit of Boldmere St Michaels kick off 3pm.

FT Anstey Nomads 2 Shepshed Dynamo 1 att 292

Anstey Nomads; Jack Laban, Brad Wilson (Jacob Fenton 59), Joel Wolfe, Jordan Annable, Lewis Gibbens, Freddie Robinson, Corey Armeni, Henry Bestwick, Ant Lynn, Luis Rose (Ben Bayliss 90), Nyle Blake (Darien Wauchope 90)

Shepshed Dynamo, Brandon Ganley, Jadahn Fridye-Harper, Shaquille O'Neill Brooks, Jordan Smith, Elwalid Elhaghany, Niall Prenderville, Reece Morris, Kyle Dixon, Zayn Hakeem (Harry Wakefield 79), Charlie Wakefield, Shaun Ruzvidzo (Kieran Cummings 74)