Maltby Main Football Club
After a three week lay-off due to the bad weather, Main entertained local rivals Parkgate and honours remained even after a dramatic second half Maltby fightback.
Parkgate were close to an early lead in the fourth minute when Ryan Johnson’s header crashed back off the Maltby bar and was scrambled to safety following Jamie Jones’ cross into the box.
Main striker  and top scorer, Rob Branagan, shot just wide and Adam Shepherd had a shot saved by ‘Gate ‘keeper Danny Tollerfield following Scott Somerville’s clever through ball.
In the twenty eighth minute Tollerfield easily saved Branagan’s close range header but, four minutes later, ’Gate took the lead when Mark Caine took advantage of Gary Hibbert’s short back pass and slid the ball past ‘keeper Jamie Bailey after Bailey had blocked his first effort.
Five minutes later Caine got his second when he headed past Bailey from Ben Redfearn’s cross into the box to send the visitors in two goals to the good at the break
Five minutes after the break, Main defender Matt Griffin had a header cleared off the line from Somerville’s corner.
Then, Danny Reilly had a header saved from another corner for Main.
Johnson had a sixtieth minute header saved and eight minutes later Caine wasted a glorious chance by heading over from ten yards.
A minute after coming on as substitute, new signing Neil Longhurst forced Tollerfield into a good save before Main pulled a goal back in the seventy ninth minute when Branagan latched onto Reilly’s through ball and shot past Tollerfield from twelve yards.
With six minutes remaining, substitute Sean Lee picked out Longhurst in the ‘Gate box and  he smashed the ball in from eight yards for a goal on his Main debut.
Branagan headed just wide from John Beggs’ cross in the last minute and, in injury time, Branagan shot wide after running through the ‘Gate defence with Longhurst screaming  for the ball in an unmarked position as Main finished the match on top and looking for what would have been a shock winner.

Main: Jamie Bailey, Jon Wragg (Sean Lee 72), Danny Reilly, Gary Hibbert, Matt Griffin, Adam Shepherd, Scott Somerville, Simon  Hickey, Nick Hancock (Neil Longhurst 75), Rob Branagan, Dave Shepherd (John Beggs 62)
Saturday 14 February 2009
Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Maltby Main (0) 2 Parkgate (2) 2
Reporter:
Chris Hulley