HELLENIC LEAGUE DIVISION ONE EAST
Rayners Lane 2
Burnham Reserves 2
RAYNERS Lane were jumping for joy when Paul Leslie’s penalty rescued a point against Burnham Reserves with the last kick of the game – but manager Mick Bradshaw won’t have been pleased with events at the other end of the field.
Leslie’s trusty left boot sent the Burnham keeper the wrong way deep into seven minutes of stoppage time on Saturday to earn his team a point after the visitors raced into a two-goal lead at Tithe Farm.
Last week, Rayners Lane kept only their second clean sheet of the season against Headington Amateurs after Bradshaw had been working his boys hard on the training ground to make their leaking backline less porous.
“We’ve been working on the defence for a long time,” Bradshaw explained.
“We’ve not had a regular goalkeeper. Simon Stainsby has been out with a broken finger and Ruben Da Silva, only 18, had been filling in but he’s only young.”
On Saturday Chris Page donned the gloves and had a steady game but was beaten by Alex Simmonds and Ayden Coombe.
The deficit was reduced three minutes before half time when Chezney Cassell’s thunderous volley from just outside the penalty area gave Chris Christie no chance in the Blues goal.
It looked as though the Lane were heading for defeat until deep into added-time when Burnham were penalised for handball and Leslie kept his cool to slot home the equaliser.
Rayners Lane progressed to the second round of the Middlesex Charity Cup on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win over North Greenford United.
