Leaders Brigg Town drop points in LIV fightback but stay unbeaten
Brigg Town remain unbeaten and top of the NCEL Division One table, but dropped home points on Saturday as LIV fought back from a 2-0 interval deficit for a draw.
However, joint manager Stephen McCarron was not too downhearted, saying: “People get well above their station at this level thkinking you are going to win every game at home after a good start, but that's not the case. You have to earn the right to get three points at this level, or any level to be fair
“Credit to LIV, they have got in and about our faces and made the game a bit better for them, and they've taken the game away from us.
“They have lumped it and made it difficult for our centre halves. Our back four have been sensational, so I am not going to slate them. But they looked like they had a difficult afternoon today.
“I will assess it tonight and take my medicine. We always want to win every single game and in that last 15 minutes there was only one team that wanted to win it, and that was us.
“But credit to them. They've come here with a game plan and I feel like they've got what they wanted.”
He added: “You have to be ruthless in both boxes to win a game of football and Charlie Fleming made a great block at 1-0.
“But we're not going to come down here and get four or five goals every day.
“We have to be realistic in our approach.
“They're all working men and they all have day jobs, kids, families, the stresses of everyday life, but they've come here and put in a shift for me and that is all I can ask.”
Brigg dominated in a first half in which they could have had more.
They took the lead on 15 minutes when a brilliant kick from keeper Liam Higton caused issues, the ball eventually finding Dayle Southwell in the area who headed home.
Joshua Batty made it 2-0 on 38 minutes when he was found by a brilliant ball into the near post and buried a header, giving the keeper no chance.
But ninth-placed LIV were far from done and when a simple ball forward was not cleared on 55 minutes, Ojei Victory was able to poke the ball past Higton - a retreating Brigg defender unable to clear.
Four minutes later LIV were level, Brigg failing to clear once again and the ball rebounding to Victory to pass home his second.
Adam Drury rattled the LIV bar on 79 minutes while Higton saved from a one on one at the other end as the sides had to settle for the draw.
After a trip to South Leeds tonight (Wednesday 9th) Brigg host Dearne & District on Saturday in the FA Vase second qualifying round.