Keeper scores late on as Sleaford take a point at Hucknall
Goalkeeper Liam Flitton scored a late penalty as Sleaford Town drew 1-1 at Hucknall Town on Saturday.
It was a story of two penalties that headlined the action at the RM Stadium, neither of which were dished out before the final 15 minutes in what was otherwise, quite a frantic, yet uneventful affair in Nottinghamshire.
Finlay Armond was the man adjudged to have felled Cashmere Rowe on the edge of the box with just 13 minutes remaining, affording Niall Towle the chance to smash home the opener beyond Flitton to jubilant home scenes behind the goal.
It was an opener probably deserved on the overall balance of play and chances, but it was one that the hosts would not make the most of, themselves giving away a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ethan Hulley hacked Ben Robson down in the area, allowing goalkeeper Flitton to cap a fine personal display at the other end with his second Greens goal after his remarkable strike against Pinchbeck United at the conclusion of last season.
And boss Matt Evans was pleased with the response from his players following the 4-1 defeat at Deeping Rangers four days earlier.
He told the club’s media channels: “We’d looked at things in the week and at Deeping, entries into the attacking third were pretty even, they just scored more goals than us, so we needed to stamp out the defensive errors and build on our good moments.
"We saw that improvement today and although I’d rather have scored from open play than from a penalty, we’ll keep trying to find more ways to score goals.
"Liam Flitton had turned to me for the penalties and I said to him ‘you’re skipper, if you want it, go on it’, so he did and it added to the huge saves he’d made earlier in the game.”
Sleaford now prepare to host Shirebrook Town, who sit second from bottom in the UCL Premier North on nine points, 11 points behind Sleaford in 14th.