Biggleswade Town 2 Stourbridge 2

..with three points just when it looked like a 90th minute goal from Ryan Rowe had won us the game, despite a somewhat patchy performance. The trip to Biggleswade saw Nathan Bennett make his 400th Glassboys appearance, while Aaron Drake and Roland Agbor started in place of Kyle Haynes and the unavailable Leon Broadhurst.

The Waders had the better of the early proceedings, although Ben Billingham did blaze a 3rd minute shot from just outside the box off-target after Drew Canavan had squared the ball inside from the right for him. The hosts replied with Evan Key drilling a long range shot high and wide after cutting in from the left and then a right-wing free-kick from Lee Reed was headed out only as far as Sam Reed, but his drive on goal was blocked. The visitors grew stronger as the half progressed however. In the 20th minute Sean Geddes whipped over a left-wing corner and Jamie Oliver sent a firm header over the bar and five minutes later Stourbridge grabbed the lead. Billingham clipped a ball forward into the run of Ryan Rowe through the left channel area and Rowe drove towards the by-line and then held the ball up before laying a pass back towards the edge of the box for the arriving Billingham to stroke the ball low past Ian Brown in the Biggleswade goal. On the stroke of half-time Luke Benbow advanced down the left before cutting inside and his firmly struck curling shot was puahed away by Brown.

Early pressure in the second-half saw Geddes spread the ball to Canavan, but he fired wide of Brown’s left-hand post from the right-hand corner of the area and then Cameron Mawer produced a good block to thwart Rowe after the striker had again linked up with Billingham. Biggleswade began to ask more questions of the Glassboys as the match wore on. A long ball forward allowed Lee Reed to take on and beat Drake before trying a curling shot, but Will Richards was well-positioned to get the ball away. George Washbourne almost made an immediate impact for the Glassboys just a minute after coming on as a sub as Benbow chipped a pass towards the left-hand side of the area that allowed Washbourne to hit a shot on the volley, however his effort was gathered by Brown. Key then headed over from a left-wing cross at the other end before Brown had to make a great save away to his right on 69 minutes to keep out a 20-yard Sean Geddes free-kick. The Bedfordshire hosts threatened again on 73 minutes after good work by Lee Smith on the left. He eventually found Lee Allinson, who wriggled past two challenges to make room for a shot, but his effort was blocked by Bennett for a corner. Further home pressure brought them an equaliser in the 77th minute as a high Lee Allinson corner from the left evaded everybody in the middle, but the ball was fired back across the face of the six-yard box for Sam Reed to turn in from close range. Three minutes later though Stourbridge almost regained the lead when an inswinging free-kick from Billingham enabled Richards to get in a header that drew another excellent save from Brown and the Waders hit back with Steve Gentle seeing his glancing header from a right-wing free-kick drift narrowly off-target. In the 90th minute a deep right-wing corner from Billingham was met by a powerful downward header from Jamie Oliver and Rowe got a final touch to help the ball creep over the line to put the Glassboys ahead again, however Biggleswade refused to lie down and the visitors needed a well-timed last ditch tackle by Oliver to thwart Brett Donnelly after Gentle had helped on a ball forward from Lee Reed and then with virtually the last kick of the game Reed took the ball down in the centre-circle and drove forward before unleashing a stunning strike into the top corner of the net to ensure the spoils were shared.

Highlights of the match at Biggleswade can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AnOXd2sd_I&feature=c4-overview&list=UUc3_hfy6gpQ2PP93ZkpmVSw courtesy of NonleaguefootballTV.