Tuesday17 August 2021
The Toolstation Northern Counties East
Premier Division
AFC Mansfield 2 – 2 Penistone Church
The proverbial ‘Game of two halves’ couldn’t have better described this game. A brace from Lynton Karkach put The Bulls in control in the opening 45 minutes but a scrambled Kieran Ryan goal and an ex-Bull Nick Guest penalty gave Penistone a share of the points.
The Bulls went in front on 4 minutes, a strong run down the right from Jack Gibb saw his cross narrowly miss the head of Luke Walker but Karkach was on hand to loop the ball over Jake Gretorex in the visitor’s goal to open the scoring.
Kian Sketchley saw his curling drive tipped over the bar by Gretorex and then Luke Walker sees his effort cleared off the line on 29 minutes.
Jason White did have one good save to make a free kick from 25 yards palmed over the bar.
The Bulls doubled their lead on 41 minutes when Tom Slone sent Sketchley on a run down the left flank. He comfortably gets past Tom Charlesworth and delivers a cross which Walker fires towards goal. The shot is parried by the keeper but Karkach is on hand to fire home from 6 yards to double his and his team’s tally.
A deserved lead at the end of the first half with no hint of what was to come.
Penistone reduced the arrears on 52 minutes, a scramble in the box and Kieran Ryan gets a toe to the ball inside the 6-yard box and it somehow goes through Whites hands and into the net.
Penistone had upped the pressure with the home side wilting a little but holding on. That is until the dying minutes when Tom Brennan goes down in the box and the referee points to the spot. Up steps ex Bull Nick Guest to just manage to convert the spot kick after White had got a hand to it.
It can be argued that The Bulls should have been home and dry after the first half. But, taking nothing away from Penistone they battled away in the 2nd half and at times it wasn’t pretty but they got a deserved point for their efforts.
AFC Mansfield: White, Gibb, Rajter, Slone (Jatau 73), King (C), Cropper, Hobson, Appiah, Karkach, Walker (Bramley 82), Sketchley. Subs not used: Hough, D’Laryea & Buxton.
Penistone Church: Gretorex, Charlesworth, Young, Ellis, Brennan, Sheppard, Howes (C) (Guest 68), Coduri, Kemp (Hurles-Brooks 78), Ryan (Stewart 78), Turner. Subs not used: Lovell & Johnson.
Att: 72
Referee: Liam Marsh
Assistants: Danielle Knight & Darren Tingle
MoM: Lynton Karkach
