Mixed feelings for Horncastle boss after late leveller

Players of the match on Saturday, Reece Pemberton (left) and Scott Lowman (right), with joint-boss John Rawdon.

Horncastle Town joint-boss John Rawdon was pleased to see his side get their first point on the board at Cleethorpes Town Reserves last weekend.

The Wongers had been defeated in both of their opening two games but secured a 3-3 draw this time around in a game that saw six goals, two red cards, a sin bin and a last minute equaliser.

Horncastle went into half-time trailing 1-0 but facing ten men after a dismissal for violent conduct, before goals from Toby Cotton and Theo Williams put Town ahead before Williams saw red for two bookable offences.

The home side turned things around to lead but in the dying minutes of the game Scott Lowman rifled an equaliser into the top corner.

Rawdon said: “The bottom line is that we got our first point on the board which is a real positive, but in all honesty it was two points dropped as we should have won the game.

"We went a goal down in the first-half but they had a man sent off after 25 minutes and we didn’t get to grips with the game at all.

"We changed the system a bit in the second-half and the reaction from the lads was tremendous. We blew them away for 15-20 minutes, getting ourselves 2-1 up.

"But then we got ourselves in a bit of trouble as we head Deacon Lee sin-binned for dissent then Theo Williams sent off which temporarily reduced us to nine men.

"Cleethorpes dug in and got themselves 3-2 up with goals we should have defended better, but another positive was that even though we should never have round ourselves in that position, we kept going and fully deserved to get the late equaliser.

"So it was bittersweet – we’re really pleased to get a point on the board away from home and the goals we scored were superb, and the performances from the young players were again outstanding. It was just tinged with a little bit of disappointment."

Horncastle host reigning champions Nettleham on Saturday who have won both of their games so far and each of those on the road, with Rawdon adding: “We’re under no illusions, for a young side in transition like ours it’ll be a really tough test but it’s one we’re relishing and we hope for a really good attendance as well – we could be looking at a couple of hundred which is incredible at step seven.”