Dramatic derby day ends in Lancaster City equaliser

Lancaster City earned themselves a point in a tense Boxing Day clash with Bamber Bridge at the Giant Axe that ended 1-1.

Bamber Bridge took the lead in the first half through Sheldon Green but David Norris’ late equaliser prevented them from taking all three points.

Charlie Bailey made a return from a long-term injury that had kept him out since September. He came on to the pitch on the 38th minute, replacing Kyle Brownhill. He went on to become Lancaster’s man of the match.

The visitors started the better of the two sides. Sheldon Green’s first effort of the game sailed over the bar but he’d go on to have more luck in front of goal. The first half an hour of the match featured, as you’d expect from a derby, a lot of crunching tackles from both teams, proving they were well up for the game.

Former Bamber Bridge man Brad Carsley’s effort struck the post on 25 minutes, and up to that point it was the best chance of the game.

However, the away side went a goal up when Brig’s Paul Dawson got past his defender and put it on a plate for Green from close range.

Sam Waller produced a huge save for Lancaster after the break. Fin Sinclair-Smith made a nice run to cut inside and get a shot away, only to be denied by Waller who pushed the ball onto the post.

A handball by a Bamber Bridge player during a quick counter attacking move for Lancaster led to the referee pointing to the spot. However, Felix Goddard made a fantastic save to deny an equaliser from twelve yards. That was after some handbags from both players in reaction to the referee’s decision.

In the dying embers of the game, David Norris levelled for the hosts after toe-poking a rare Andy Teague cross.

Apart from some confusion over whether or not any Bamber Bridge players had been sent off during added time (they hadn’t) amidst some pushing and shoving from both teams, that was the last noteworthy bit of action from the game.

A total of 486, the highest attendance for a league match at the Giant Axe this season, watched this Boxing Day meeting.

Lancaster boss Mark Fell told the club website that it “would have been a bit of a travesty if we hadn’t gotten anything” from the game, the result of which he described as a “decent point”.

Lancaster’s next game is in the New Year, away to Atherton Colleries on January 2.