Bad habits return for YM Reserves in dramatic draw

To make matters worse Oli Leslie missed a late penalty for the visitors when leading 3-2 and just moments later a Cobham midfielder smashed home an 88th minute equaliser to earn the hosts a share of the spoils.

YM began the match in full flow and their early dominance was rewarded on 18 minutes when Curtis’s strong tackle on the halfway line broke to the pacy Ben Brooker, who drove 40 yards down the right wing and dispatched a shot across the keeper and into the far corner.

A cracking half volley saw the hosts shave YM keeper Paul Williams’s post, while at the other end Brooker should have doubled YM’s lead after a superbly worked short corner.

In what was becoming a cut and thrust and entertaining half left winger Harry Lowe began to cause problems, and he rattled the crossbar from outside the box. YM did get a deserved second on 42 minutes when full-back James Lovett found Thomas on the Thomas on the dead ball line and he pulled the ball back for Brooker to score.

But there was frustration all round when Cobham stole possession in the middle of the pitch and broke to score in the last minute of the half.

A recurring theme then reared its ugly head yet again as the YM contingency failed to reproduce their first half form. Cobham, on the other hand restarted busier and hungrier and got back on level terms 20 minutes into the second half when a corner was defended poorly.

But with ten minutes remaining Brooker beat his full-back and cutback for Oli Leslie to side foot YM back into the lead as the game. But a missed penalty and a late equaliser saw honours end even.

YM: Williams, Spiers, Dixon, Goodway (Sleat), Lovett, Shurmahi, Curtis © (Greig), Thomas, Lowe (Hallett), Brooker, Leslie.