Duggan Pics Worksop Town pockets late on

Worksop Town emerged from a fairly dull, scrappy affair with Rushall holding a point, but it should have been all three.

Tigers led the fixture, perhaps somewhat undeservedly, with only seven minutes remaining, and contrived to let the Pics get back into it.

A major disappointment for Mark Shaw and his men will be their complete lack of second half threat, failing to send a single shot at a 49-year-old stand in goalkeeper.

The game began in bright sunshine, Jack Muldoon withan early chance to deliver to Leon Mettam in the middle, but his cross was too high.

Adam Murray tested Pics keeper Paul Hayward with a ninth minute free-kick, curling it to the back post, but the custodian was equal to it.

Hayward denied Murray again four minutes later from another tricky free-kick.

The opening goal came at the other end of the pitch, Jan Budtz helpless to stop full-back Zac Martin’s superb half volley from distance.

Centre-half Adam Quinn went up to attack a Worksop set-piece, heading just over at the back post.

The game lacked any real quality, as both sides struggled to put much in the way of passing together on a slanting, bobbly pitch.

Tigers in particular struggled to maintain possession, but levelled the game with their first clear cut chance.

A corner came all the way through to Tom Denton, completely unmarked at the back post, and he slammed it home.

And a moment of Muldoon magic made it 2-1 in the 40th minute, running right the way through the middle of the pitch and holding off two challenges to beat Hayward.

Ahmed Obeng, who had a quiet first half, announced his presence just a minute after the interval, running at the defence and bringing a save from Budtz.

The second half settled into a depressingly similar pattern as the first, both sides giving the ball away and resorting to longer balls.

A mistake in the middle by Shane Clarke allowed Obeng to race clear, and although he got the ball past Budtz, the keeper got enough of a touch to slow it down, and Laurance Gaughan slid in to clear.

The 74th minute saw the game’s first yellow, Wayne Daniel cautioned for a handball, and Conor Higginson came on to replace Jake Scott.

With victory in sight, Tigers conceded a corner on 83 minutes, and Jack Duggan punished them with a goal as scrappy as the game itself, stubbing home from eight yards out.

Obeng had a golden opportunity to win all three points but he shot over with only Budtz to beat, and it ended all square.

Rushall: Hayward, Turner, Martin, Daniel, Duggan (Spink 85), Caines, Craddock (Wood 80), Palmer, Obeng, Adebola (Ramsey-Dickson 55), Dacres. Not used: Brisband, Rudd.

Worksop: Budtz 7, Pursehouse 7, Roe 7, Murray 5, Quinn 7, GAUGHAN 7, Muldoon 6 (McKenzie 89), Clarke 6, Denton 6, Mettam 5, Scott 5 (Higginson 74). Not used: Salt, Barnett, Adams.

Referee: Mr A. Da Costa. Assistants: Mr R. Hathaway, Mr P. Wainman.

Goalscorers: Martin 16, Duggan 83; Denton 37, Muldoon 40.

Yellows: Daniel 74; Mettam 81.

Attendance: 193.