It was a story of two penalties that headlined the action at the RM Stadium, neither of which were dished out before the final fifteen minutes in what was otherwise, quite a frantic, yet uneventful affair in Nottinghamshire. Finlay Armond was the man adjudged to have felled Cashmere Rowe on the edge of the box with just 13 minutes remaining at the RM, affording Niall Towle the chance to smash home the opener beyond Liam Flitton to jubilant home scenes behind the goal. It was an opener probably deserved on the overall balance of play and chances, but it was an opener that the hosts would not make the most of, themselves giving away a penalty in the 6th minute of stoppage time when Ethan Hulley hacked Ben Robson down in the area, allowing goalkeeper Liam Flitton to cap a fine personal display at the other end with his second Greens goal after his remarkable strike against Pinchbeck United at the conclusion of last season.

Manager Matt Evans made two changes from the side that were defeated 4-1 at Deeping Rangers last weekend as he looked to discover a formula that gets the Greens back on track after just one win in their last six. Lewis Smalley was a welcome returnee at centre-back after missing last weekend through illness, while there was also a return for Harrison Ainslie who took the place of Jack Eden who dropped to the bench. Hosts Hucknall Town meanwhile were also defeated 4-1 in their last outing at Newark Town, and they made five changes from that side, including former Green Latrell Patterson who dropped out of the side altogether. He was joined by Joe Ashurst, Ellis Chambers, Cashmere Rowe, and Piotr Strycharz in dropping out of the starting eleven – their places taken by Mazhi Simmons, Aaron Short, Luis Parkes, Jack Oldham, and Alfie Smith-Eccles.

The Greens enjoyed the first notable opportunity of the contest when Tyrell Shannon-Lewis was sent free over the top, but he could only drag wide of Alfie Smith-Eccles far post when well placed. Jake Henderson was the next man to try his luck and will probably feel he could have done better than blaze over the crossbar after the ball fell kindly to him from Ryan Flitton’s corner.

Signs the hosts were growing into the contest had came a little earlier when Ethan Hulley dragged wide of Flitton’s near post, but the Greens keeper was soon called into impressive action when he acrobatically tipped Niall Towle’s cheeky lob onto the post after 20 minutes. Towle was becoming a persistent thorn in the Greens side, and he could again have found the opener a short while later, powering just over the crossbar after taking control in the box. He then called Flitton into handy action once again just before the break, the Greens keeper beating away well to his right-hand side after Towle had worked himself space in the box.

That trend continued into the second half, Aaron Short whistling an effort beyond Flitton’s post early on before the Greens keeper was out to good effect to foil Jack Oldham who’d found a yard in the six yard area. Back at the other end and Tyrell Shannon-Lewis enjoyed another handy opportunity, heading Jake Henderson’s freekick – unopposed – into Alfie Smith Eccles’ hands just short of the hour before he drove well at the Hucknall defence, but could only power into the home keepers hands after Harry Gibbons set-up.

The true spark the game needed was then ignited when Finlay Armond was harshly adjudged to have tripped Cashmere Rowe on the edge of the box, the referee pointing to the spot, much to the disbelief of the travelling Greens, who, despite many protestations, soon found themselves 1-0 down when the lively Niall Towle made no mistake from the spot. The Greens huffed and puffed from here on in but couldn’t find the killer blow to get themselves level, that was until, in the 6th minute of stoppage time, Ethan Hulley hooked Ben Robson down in the area to hand the Greens a spot kick of their own. In a remarkable turn, it was captain and goalkeeper Liam Flitton who stepped forward, much to the bemusement of those in the home crowd, Flitton making no mistake though, sending his opposite number the wrong way to rescue the Greens a much needed point.

Words: Oliver Atkin