Parkgate’s draws keep play-offs tantalisingly out of reach
PARKGATE were left rueing points that got away after back-to-back home draws in their quest to squeeze into the NCEL Premier Division play-offs.
The Steelmen led Thackley on Saturday and Horbury Town on Tuesday night before being pegged back to draw 1-1 after Shay Evans-Booth had given them the lead in both games.
On the Thackley game, manager Scott Mason said: “We played well. We matched Thackley in the second half. We worked their keeper and could have won the game.”
Owen Kelly took the Man of the Match award in midweek for a strong performance against Horbury’s tricky winger.
The visitors netted in the 90th minute through Joe Angel to take a point.
Saturday saw Dylan Parkin make his home debut and the first effort of any note saw Paul Walker’s free-kick go high and wide for the visitors on 15 minutes.
This spurred Parkgate into action and a minute later Harley Moore saw his header force a good save from Liam Wilson in the visitors goal.
Evans-Booth broke the deadlock when he found the net from close range on 33 minutes only for the visitors to level right on half time when Luke Brooks ran on to a loose ball to score.
Parkgate were denied a second goal on 64 minutes when Shay Evans-Booth saw his effort ruled out for offside and moments later the same fate befell Thackley as the match headed towards a draw.
Ten points off the play-off frame, Gate are at home again, to Liversedge, on Saturday (3pm).
In the United Counties League, mid-table Swallownest recovered from a 4-2 defeat at Clifton All Whites on Saturday to take a 1-1 draw at Pinxton on Tuesday. George Walker got the goal while Alex Wilkinson bagged both at Clifton.
Swall host West Bridgeford on Saturday (3pm) and South Normanton on Wednesday (7.45pm).