Recap
The County League programme resumed and featured last season’s Divisional Champions – East winners Pirelli visiting the West champions, Reds.
Pirelli are strong favourites to win the Premier Division title this term but Reds’ teenagers gave them a run for their money, coming close to pulling off a notable victory against the league leaders.
Pirelli started brightly and were a goal up inside three minutes with Jordan Atkinson opening the scoring.
Reds reacted well to the early setback and enjoyed a purple patch for long spells of the first half. They played some delightful football and had turned the game round by half time.
Reuben Butterworth equalised with a close range finish and, just before the interval, Leon Dmyrowski capped a good fight-back by putting Reds in front for the first time.
It was a different story after the break with Pirelli starting to dominate and looking more like themselves.
But the home defence stood firm and looked dangerous on the counter attack, even wasting several decent opportunities to increase their lead.
Pirelli had the final say, though, and levelled matters in stoppage time via a controversial penalty. Taylor Hambling was adjudged to have handled and the referee pointed to the spot leaving Jordan Pritchard to score the last-gasp equaliser.
Ten of the Reds squad had been involved in the FA Youth Cup tie less than forty eight hours earlier so a commendable effort over two tough matches.
Team: Scott Paden-Gale, Aidan Howarth, Dan Whitehead, Reuben Butterworth, Tom Skinner, Elliot Lowrie (Cain Pears), James Bell, Matty Foster (Josh Palmer), Tom Houghton, Leon Dmytrowski. Substitutes – Logan Bosward, Tyler Harrell (not used).