Anstey Nomads 1 Stapenhill 1

ON THE MARK ... striker Karl Wayte scored the equaliser for the Swans at Anstey.

ANSTEY NOMADS 1

STAPENHILL 1

KARL Wayte was on target again as Stapenhill earned a point at Cropston Road.

Earlier, Darren Taylor had give the Nomads the lead in Saturday's East Midlands Counties League clash.

The first real chance fell to the Swans when a poor clearance by Anstey keeper Taylor McMillan went straight to Danny Gilligan who returned it with interest only to see it drift just wide of the keeper's left-hand post.

The Nomads responded with Taylor bursting forward before finding 16-year-old Joe May down the left but the youngster's cross fell behind.

Back came the Swans with a surging run and inviting cross from Nathan Rolph met by Gilligan but the midfielder's header was deflected for a corner.

Next it was Wayte's turn to power a header wide from a Tom Liversage cross.

Appeals for a penalty, after a Dean Bromley effort struck a defender's arm, were waved away by referee Sam Kane, and a minute later, strong appeals for another spot kick for handball in the box against Paul Furniss were given the same treatment by the official.

Liversage then tried his luck with a long-range effort which bounced just wide. At the other end, Taylor picked out May who cut in from the left only to fire wide.

However, on 23 minutes, the teenager again cut in from the left touchline, looking for all the world as if was trying to find someone on the opposite flank.

Instead, he sent a perfectly-weighted through ball to Taylor who beat the offside trap to slide the ball past advancing Swans keeper Harry Bullock.

The Swans fought back with a cross-shot from Liversage flying inches over.

On 29 minutes, the Swans were gifted a goal by Nomads left-back Luke West who inexplicably passed the ball across his own box straight to Wayte who took a touch and fired past McMillan.

Stapenhill finished the half strongly with Wayte releasing Jordan Dent down the left but when his cross came in there was no-one to convert it. Then Dent, never afraid to try his luck, saw his on-target shot deflected for a corner.

A goal looked inevitable when a Bromley corner, whipped in at pace from the right, caused absolute mayhem in the visitors' six-yard box before it was eventually booted clear.

After a half-time pep-talk, the Nomads stepped up a gear with a decent strike from impressive defender Darren Russell flying just wide.

Stacey Core then released Joe Hartopp and the winger curled in a wicked cross which was cleared by Steve Dennahy.

On 62 minutes, the hosts should have scored. Perry's underhit header back to Bullock was never going to reach him but Taylor, who nipped in, lobbed the ball over the keeper and the crossbar.

Next, West swung in a fine cross which was claimed under severe pressure by Bullock. Back came the Swans, with another wicked cross driven in by Rolph eventually scrambled clear.

Substitute Alex Britton then showed good close control, on the right before picking out Dent, whose first-time volley rebounded off McMillan's chest.

The Swans went close again in the 78th minute when a Britton corner, whipped in from the right, was only partially cleared to Gilligan, unmarked on the edge of the box but the midfielder lobbed the ball well wide.

It was end-to-end now. Britton exchanged passes with Liversage before his cross was headed clear by Russell.

Slowly the Nomads turned the screw, with a Matt Litchfield cross caught at full stretch by Bullock under a fierce aerial challenge from Taylor. Then a cross from May was finger-tipped away by the Swans keeper.

The pressure continued with Taylor threatening to go clear but he was brought down by Perry, who was rightly booked.

However, the Swans weathered the storm with Furniss clearing off the line and Dennahy heading a dangerous ball by Core out for a corner.

GOALS: Taylor 23 (Nomads). Wayte 29 (Swans).

ANSTEY NOMADS: McMillan, Litchfield, West, Preston, Russell, May, Harris (Hornsby 62), Alexander, D Taylor, Core, Hartopp. Subs not used: Hardy, Smith, A Akiens, J Akiens.

SWANS: Bullock, Furniss, Rolph, Bromley (Pickering 46), Dennahy, Perry, Liversage, Gilligan, S Taylor (Britton 66), Wayte, Dent (Campbell 75).

BOOKED: Perry (Swans).

SWANS STAR MAN: Harry Bullock - superb display by stand-in keeper.

REFEREE: S Kane (Nottingham).

ATTENDANCE: 88