An equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time from Garstang’s captain Weslie Bajraliu denied Daisy Hill all three points in the North West Counties League First Division North clash at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night.
A goal from Daisy substitute Luca Latona, that broke the deadlock two minutes from time, appeared to have given Daisy a much needed win, only for their hopes to be dashed by Bajraliu‘s goal which turned out to be the last play of the night.
Despite the dramatic finale, the game was a tough watch for long periods, and Daisy boss Nicky Hunt pulled no punches in his post-match assessment.
“It was such a poor game, I don’t know where to start,” said Hunt.
“I think a point was a fair result. We didn’t deserve to win the game, they didn’t deserve to win the game, and it was two poor teams on the night.
“It’s a game of football that I need to forget really, really quickly. People have paid money to get in, and I just feel sorry for them that they’ve watched that game of football tonight.
“Just when you think, we’ve rescued three points here, to defend like that in the last seconds of the game when we had the ball in the corner flag is diabolical.
“I know it’s nearing the end of the season. players are tiring with all the games, but there’s no excuse for me.
“I thought defensively we were okay. We’ve got such a young team out there, and they’re learning. but there’s only so many times I can say, yes, they’re only young, they’re still learning, they’re going to make mistakes.
“Tonight was a game about poor decision-making, simple as that. Football is about decision-making and the more decisions you get right, usually you’ll play well and you’ll win games.
“But as soon as you start making poor or rash decisions, you’re on the back foot and we were on the back foot for quite a while tonight.
“Jude (Smith, Daisy Hill goalkeeper) has probably only had one save to make, but we’ve come away with a one-all draw.
“The manner in how we managed the game at the end was criminal, really. It’s such a disappointing way to end the game, having thought we’d got three points, but such is football.
“It was a tight, close game, but these games happen in this league.”
The first chance of the game arrived in the fourth minute when Jude Smith had to react quickly to tip a well-struck shot from Bajraliu over the bar.
It took until the 20th minute before Daisy created a chance of note, when a deflected shot from Liam Sheppard was safely gathered by Garstang keeper Joe Lawton.
And it was Sheppard who got on the end of Daisy’s best chance of the half when he headed over from a Fionn Murphy corner.
The lively Sheppard also fashioned Daisy’s first chance in the second half when he collected a pass from Dec Baldwin, cut inside the full-back and tested Lawton with a shot from 25 yards.
Just after the hour mark, Bajraliu came close with an effort that cleared the bar from a tight angle, and at the midway point Daisy had another chance when Harry Forshaw’s shot was deflected into the path of Joleon Moore, whose effort narrowly missed the target.
As the game entered the closing stages Garstang began to enjoy the bulk of the territory and possession, and after a sweeping move set up Liam Clegg for a shot that just missed the target from the edge of the box, the always dangerous Bajraliu scooped the ball over from close range when he really should have scored.
But just as the game seemed destined to end goalless, Daisy broke the deadlock with two minutes remaining, when Forshaw’s corner driven low into the box was sidefooted home by Latona from close range.
However, with the game in the final minute of added time, Daisy lost possession when trying to keep the ball down near the corner flag, and Garstang broke quickly upfield.
Ben Turton had acres of space to race into the Daisy half, and his cross to the far post evaded Smith in goal, and was met by Bajraliu at full stretch to rescue a point for the home side.
Daisy now move on to face Squires Gate on Saturday, and Hunt is now aware of the importance of the game in the context of the rest of the season, following another two points dropped.
“We just need to eradicate this Garstang result fast because we’ve got a massive and tough game at Squires Gate on Saturday, who are going for promotion,” Hunt added.
“I still say we’re in with a chance of going for the play-offs, but it’s going to be really tough now. There’s only one place to play for really, but we’ve got to keep going.
“We’ve been quite lucky actually with injuries, I think, over the course of the season. But every team has a patch and now we’re just getting a couple of niggles here and there.
“I hate changing my back four, and that’s what I’ve had to do in the last two or three games, but obviously, when you’ve not got players available, you have to do it. That’s a manager’s job, that’s what you get paid to do. we just have to knuckle down and see if the lads can get back.
“Hopefully we’ll have Jacob Ridings back and Dean Singleton, too, for Saturday’s game, and if not they should be okay for the game against MSB Woolton the following week.”
Share