Stoppage Time Drama As Town Snatch Last Gasp Victory Over Odd Down

Warminster Town 3(1) Odd Down 2(0)
Attendance 104

Ahead of today’s game Warminster sat one point and one place above Odd Down in the Western League Division One table. They had been on a poor run of late going six league games without a win.

Missing from today’s lineup were Braden Humphreys who has joined Corsham Town and Sam McFarlane who has gone to Welton Rovers. On the plus side we welcomed back forwards Jake Wright and Corey Gardner who had missed our last two defeats.

After a quiet start Town took the lead in the 
13th minute. Jake Wright picked the ball up on the halfway line, played a one-two with Corey Gardner and headed down the left wing. He crossed the ball to Owen Bartley  on the edge of the box who played the ball perfectly into the path of Reece Collyer. From outside the box Reece found the bottom corner to give Town the lead, 1-0. Odd Down almost hit back immediately with a break down the right into Town’s penalty area. Raphael Waugh’s shot was saved superbly by Town’s keeper Matt Green. Just minutes later Green and his defence survived a scramble in the six yard box making saves and blocking shots. Warminster then thought they had doubled their lead. They recycled the ball after a right side corner was only half cleared. The cross into the back post lead to a scramble and the ball was fired into the net.

Unfortunately Town were denied when the referee awarded a free kick for a foul on Odd Down’s keeper, Joseph Harper. On 40 minutes the ball was squared to Ryan Benson in space on right of box but the captain’s shot was well saved by Harper. Then just before halftime Seb Hounsell just failed to get on the end of another great cross into the danger area.

Warminster started the second half brightly with Toby Worts testing Harper from long range and Corey Gardner having two chances one after the other in the centre of the penalty area. On 59 minutes Odd Down had a great chance to level after Matt Green could only parry a shot. The ball fell to an Odd Down forward who, with the goal at his mercy, fired the ball high over the bar. Then as the pressure increased the visitors levelled the score on 78 minutes.  Ashley Marsh received the ball in space on the right of box and fired past Green, 1-1. Back came Town and Jake Wright created space in the box to unleash a fierce shot but Harper saved well at the foot of the post. 

Then in the first minute of stoppage time Town regained the lead. A Reece Collyer free kick from wide left was fired in towards the back post where Ryan Benson’s great glancing header gave Harper no chance, 2-1. Town’s joy quickly turned to despair however, when Odd Down’s right winger broke into the box and went down under pressure. With the linesman appearing to flag for a goal kick the referee pointed to the spot. Matt Green dived to his right to keep out the spot kick but the ball cruelly broke to Odd Down’s Jake Thomas who tapped in to equalise for the visitors for a second time.

Then just when we were resigned to taking just a point we were given one last chance. A last ditch tackle just outside the right hand side if the penalty area led to a free kick. Up stepped Corey Gardner and, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, he curled the free kick around the wall past the diving Harper, 3-2. There wasn’t time for the restart as the referee blew the full time whistle. Cue wild celebrations from Town’s players and supporters alike!

Report by Geoff Jackson