Late Liversedge goal denies Lancaster City win

Lancaster City were denied all three points when second-from-bottom Liversedge scored late on.

The two sides drew 1-1 on Tuesday night in the NPL Premier Division.

A Sam Bailey penalty within 10 minutes put the Dollies ahead, but the home side levelled the scoring through Nathan Cartman.

Despite not getting the win, Lancaster are now in the top 10 in the NPL Premier Division, a target manager Mark Fell set for them a few weeks back.

Calen Gallagher-Allison started the game, making his first appearance since November when he suffered a dislocated ankle.

Lancaster were dominant in the early stages and were awarded a penalty in the ninth minute as a Liversedge hand blocked the delivery of a corner.

Sam Bailey stepped up and sent Aleksandar Petrovic the wrong way to get his eighth goal of the season, and his sixth from 12 yards out.

Nic Evangelinos had the opportunity to double the lead but his effort went just past the post.

‘Sedge’ had a good couple of chances before the break. Joe Walton’s header from a corner was a little too high, before Sam Waller produced a great save to turn a close range effort onto the crossbar.

Liversedge continued to push in the second half. Eventual goal scorer Nathan Cartman could’ve had his name on the scoresheet sooner if his header on the hour mark was on target.

Kurt Harris launched an effort from long range but Waller made a strong save. Just moments later down the other end of the pitch, Evangelinos was denied by Petrovic, who later kept out Matty Tweedley and saw an Owen Robinson effort flash past the post.

Those were just some of the missed chances that the visitors would rue come full time.

Joe Walton was unable to direct his header towards goal with around ten minutes to go, but he would go on to play a crucial role in the hosts’ equaliser.

The number nine got onto the end of a long ball, brought it down and chipped it over Waller and Cartman made sure of it going in with a header from mere inches away.

Lancaster City’s assistant manager Graham Lancashire said afterwards that the Dollies “did enough to win the game comfortably”.

“We created a lot of chances in the second half, one v ones and, realistically, we should have put the game to bed well before the final whistle.”

Lancashire went on to admit that, due to the late equaliser, the result “felt like a loss.”

“The lads are devastated in there, we have done everything we can, but it’s moments and it’s probably happened in a lot of games this season where little moments in games have cost us and unfortunately it’s in the last minute this week.”

Lancaster’s attentions now turn to the visit of Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday (April 8), and then it’s a trip to Bamber Bridge just 48 hours later.