Silsden 1 Alsager Town 1

A DRAMATIC finish gave the Cobbydalers a share of the spoils as Joe Jalil headed home an equaliser nine minutes into stoppage time.

It was the culmination of a frantic finale which saw Silsden keeper Danny Thorpe charge the length of the field for a corner. He collided with the powerful Calvin Haughton and was flattened. After a lengthy stoppage, the keeper returned to his goal nursing a cut lip. Alsager attacked andThorpe pulled off a remarkable save to deny substitute Boris Meunghi.

The ball was moved forwards quickly and a chip into the box found Craig Nicholls, who dragged his effort wide with only Drysden to beat. Within a minute the Silsden man was through again, only to see his low shot go wide beyond the far post.

It looked like the game was up but Jalil headed home after Joe Mitchell's shot was saved.

With Danny Gleave's ankle ligament damage meaning he is unlikely to feature before the new year, Silsden suffered a further blow when Ryan Brereton felt a recurrence of his knee problem in the warm up.

The Cobbydalers, whose last league win back in September was ironically at Alasager, started brightly, with Zack Dale crossing for Tom Henderson, who sliced his shot before Nicholls was just off target with his effort.

The Bullets went close when Simon Everall shot into the side-netting and Jalil cleared off the line from the same player.

On 30 minutes Henderson hit a cross-field ball to Dale on the left. He spotted Nicholls' diagonal run and the striker hit a low shot but Steve Drysden dived across his goal to push it wide.

Defences were tight until the half went into stoppage time. Ryan Wintle had a shot from the edge of the box which cleared the bar before a half-clearance struck him on the hand. The Silsden lads appealed in vain and Wintle took advantage, putting the visitors one up at the break.

The second half began with Thorpe charging out of his goal to deny Blundell after the Silsden defence was opened up. Thorpe was a little lucky to gather the ball at the second attempt but from then on the Bullets were pushed back.

Mitchell and Kevin Ryan were among those that went close but whenever danger threatened defenders Haughton and Jon Kegough dealt with it - until the dramatic 99th minute.

Silsden boss Andy Geary said: “We certainly deserved something from. The goals seemed to have dried up a bit but I am not worried. Craig (Nicholls) might have had a hat-trick because he got into some great positions. He'll get the goals.

"I went through a few barren spells when I played up front! I would worry if we weren't creating chances. We just need other players to chip in with a few goals as well.”

The Bullets remain three points above the Cobbydalers but Silsden have six games in hand on them.

This Saturday they travel to Stockport Sports, who play on an artificial surface.

SILSDEN: Thorpe, Deakin-Pickard, Jalil, Nettleton, Fagan, Ryan, Hollindrake(Moses 58), Mitchell, Henderson(Wademan 70), Dale Nicholls.