Dunston 2-2 Steels

Stocksbridge came close to stealing an upset win in a 2-2 draw with Dunston.

Dunston started off as the better expect, which you would expect considering they were pushing for promotion. They were lively and flashed a cross across the edge of the six-yard box but Sado Djalo wasn’t able to stretch long enough to get on the end of it, and the Steels were able to hold out.

Stocksbridge would go onto grow into the game and slowly become the better side. They would get their reward soon when Tomas Poole was tripped. He got the ball for the free kick and curled it into the top corner, leaving Dan Staples in the Dunston with little chance. Stocksbridge could have had a chance to double their lead minutes later, but when Kurtis Turner went down in the box the referee decided it was a dive and booked the midfielder.

The Steels had good control of the game but unfortunately, things can change in a flash. A long ball went forward and Ben Townsend rushed out to it to try and beat Dale Pearson to the ball. Unfortunately, Townsend misjudged the ball and it went past him. Pearson won the foot race, and finished into the empty net.

The second half almost started in the best possible fashion as Charlie Oglesby had a header cleared off the line. Despite Stocksbridge looking more likely to score, they would suffer a sucker punch. A ball in the box found substitute Jordan Lamb who did well to pin a ball back from the far post, and Dunston’s leading scorer Jack Maskell got onto it to finish from a simple position.

Stocksbridge would start pressing at the other end to try and get an equaliser. Eventually, they would get it. It was from a corner, and Poole whipped in the ball for Oglesby to show his worth at the other end of the pitch to head in from close range.

And then, it looked more likely that the Steels would take the lead, especially after surviving a bullet Wayne Phillips shot that went just wide. A big moment would come after Dan Staples spilled a seemingly simple shot from Jack Watson. Charlie Reaney sent in his corner and Oglesby had another header, but his diving header went just over. It meant Stocksbridge would get just the point against Dunston, but they could have definitely had the three.