Improving Town take a point

A rousing second half display by the Blues saw them come home with a share of the points, a result which put a severe dent in the home side’s promotion ambitions and meant Town have taken four points from the two matches with Bolsover. The positive benefits of fielding an unchanged squad were amply demonstrated, the only changes from Saturday’s win at Tideswell being the return of Jammy Lloyd in place of Reece Carlisle who dropped to the bench and Oliver Sinclair replacing the suspended Nathan Burrows in goal.
On an uneven pitch, there were few early chances as both sides cancelled each other out. Both sides were guilty of overdoing the long ball, many balls forward being played too far ahead of the forwards. Will Nelson produced a timely interception to rob Mason, while the league’s leading scorer Parfitt headed over from a right wing corner. Town’s first real effort on goal came on 28 minutes as a precise ball from Chris Dobbie to Arron Martin on the right was hammered across the face of the goal and past the far post. Two minutes later the home side took the lead, Parfitt appearing to scuff his shot which went through a knot of players past the unsighted Sinclair. The Blues could consider themselves unfortunate to be in arrears as there had been little to choose between the two teams so far.
Carlisle replaced Danny Purves at the start of the second half. After the reliable Ian Wade had brought a promising run from Mason to an end, a revitalised Town levelled the scores on 52 minutes with a goal of quality. A penetrating run through the middle by Sam Wilford was played out to Arron Martin who raced down the right and centred for Tyler Martin to expertly flick the ball past keeper Hopkins. Minutes later another run from Arron Martin saw Lloyd’s shot deflected for a corner. Bolsover still threatened, Bartram sending a long range effort narrowly over the bar and Sinclair doing well to hold a Burchill free kick. Town’s back four stood up firmly to the pressure, Richard Dent producing some excellent clearances and Nelson and Wade dealing confidently with the threat of Bolsover’s free scoring strikers. Sam Wilford’s determined tracking of Parfitt saw him force a goal kick as he bore down on goal and in the dying minutes Wade was in position to head off the line as Bolsover desperately sought a winner. Town could have won it in stoppage time as a poor clearance from Hopkins gave Tyler Martin an opportunity but the keeper redeemed himself with a good block.