Sykes salvages point for Worksop in injury-time

A dramatic equaliser in injury-time snatched an excellent point for Worksop Town at the end of a six-goal thriller away to high-flying Knaresborough Town.
Worksop battle to win the ball. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)Worksop battle to win the ball. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)
Worksop battle to win the ball. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)

Matt Sykes pounced to tuck his shot under the ‘keeper to complete a 3-3 draw in which the Tigers had to come from behind three times against the Toolstation Northern Counties East League, Premier Division title chasers.

Manager Craig Denton praised his side’s resilience and the way they never gave up. But he also felt the performance was “overall quite poor” and that Worksop enjoyed a bit of luck in pinching a point.

The Tigers celebrate one of their three goals. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)The Tigers celebrate one of their three goals. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)
The Tigers celebrate one of their three goals. (PHOTO BY: Lewis Pickersgill Photography)

Denton said: “We made a slow start again, with Knaresborough scoring after only two minutes, and we were on the back foot straight away. This needs to stop. We cannot concede three goals and expect to win games. We’ll look at it and work out what we need to do to change things round.”

It was Nick Black who gave Knaresborough their early advantage when he turned a ball from Ben Cohen into the net.

The Tigers replied in the 28th minute when Kyke Jordan dispatched a fine curling effort, and although the hosts restored their lead on 36, when Cohen was handed an easy tap-in, back came Worksop only four minutes later to square things up by the half-time interval, this time courtesy of a spectacular strike by Sykes.

Knaresborough thought they had finally put their visitors away in the 63rd minute when Brad Walker played a one-two with Black to bend a terific shot into the bottom corner.

But Denton’s Tigers refused to lie down and grabbed a draw that left them 11th in the 20-team table with 13 points from seven games.