An unfortunate injury-time own goal rescued a point for St Blazey, who battled back to draw 2-2 at Wadebridge Town on Wednesday night, writes Matt Friday.
Kyle Flew gave the Bridgers a slender lead at the break before Liam Eddy responded for the Green and Blacks with his 22nd goal of the campaign.
Matt Lloyd’s own 18th of the season restored the Bridgers’ advantage with only 15 minutes to play, but Blazey rescued a point at the death in cruel circumstances when young debutant goalkeeper Jamie Beare dropped a cross into his own net.
The in-form Green and Blacks, who were unbeaten in their previous six games, controlled the opening 25 minutes with Eddy and Olly Brokenshire testing gloveman Beare, standing in for regular number one Rob Rosevear, early on.
Eddy thought he had put his side in front when he nodded Jed Smale’s cross past Beare, but the assistant referee had deemed the ball to have not crossed the line before the Bridgers defender’s goalline intervention.
Wadebridge weathered the storm and got their noses in front just before the half-hour. Lloyd beat the Blazey defence to a lofted pass towards the corner flag and sent in a low cross towards Flew, who hammered the ball past the helpless visiting stopper Jason Chapman.
Brokenshire, Smale and Callum Kenny were all out of luck as the visitors tried to find a leveller before the break, while former Blazey man Chris Reski fired over from a promising position at the other end.
The Green and Blacks resumed their push after the turnaround and they were finally back on terms just after the hour. They had in-form Eddy to thank, who cut in from the right flank and drilled the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box for his 15th goal in his side’s last eight games.
Spurred on by their equaliser, St Blazey immediately started their search for a winner with Isaac Burdon missing a gilt-edged chance in acres of space at the back post before Joe Cooper had a header cleared off the line.
But it was Paul Rowe’s men who got the next goal with little over 14 minutes left to play. Somewhat against the run of play again, Lloyd found an opening on the left of the box and rifled in an unstoppable low strike into the far corner.
The visitors came back at the Bridgers but were frustrated in their efforts. That is until the third minute of stoppage time when, under pressure from the green shirts around him, Beare spilled Will Tinsley’s high cross into his own net as Wadebridge were denied victory in the cruellest of circumstances.
Wadebridge: J Beare, B Sturdy, S Wickins, T Strike, S Gerken, R Beare, C Reski, T McLachlan, K Flew, M Lloyd, W Tucker. Subs: T Crowe, F Ellacott, B Rowe, E Reeves, L Carhart.
St Blazey: J Chapman, W Tinsley, I Burdon, J Dingle (K Marks 76) J Cooper, M Giles, J Smale (M Vallejo 70), O Brokenshire (K Friendship 76), L Eddy, C McGhee, C Kenny. Subs (unused): O Rosevear, A Williams.