Shirebrook Town hold Rossington Main to gain a hard-earned point

This was Shirebrook' s first league game in over two weeks and they couldn't have asked for a much harder opposition.

So it was no surprise Rossington started the stronger, Myron Gibbons forcing Lewis Hill into a save in the opening minute.

T he visitors opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Bradley Wells picked up the ball on the right, dribbled across the box and unleashed a left footed shot across Lewis Hill into the bottom corner.

But that finally sparked Shirebrook into life and the Main goalkeeper, who had been a spectator for the opening 15 minutes, was finally called into action as Josh Parfitt and Kenan McKenzie Gray both went close to an equaliser.

In the 34th minute Rossington were handed a chance to extend the lead when they were awarded a penalty, but Hill guessed correctly and saved Tyla Bell's spot kick with his foot.

That miss came back to haunt Rossington on the stroke of half-time as Shirebrook levelled when Josh Devereux curled a free kick into the bottom corner.

Shirebrook started the second half much better than the first and almost took the lead in the 50th minute, but Parfitt saw his effort saved.

Then in the 54th minute Devereux almost repeated his effort from the first half, but saw his free kick hit the post.

However, in the 56th minute Shirebrook did take the lead when a cross from the right found McKenzie Gray who headed home.

But Shirebrook's joy was short-lived as Rossington were awarded their second penalty of the game on the hour mark and Hill couldn’t repeat his heroics as Bell sent him the wrong way.

Both sides had chances to win the game in the last half hour with the best Shirebrook chances falling to McKenzie Gray and sub Fabian Johnson, but in the end neither side could find a breakthrough and both sides had to settle for a hard-earned point.

Shirebrook are back in action on Saturday when they visit Brigg Town in the NCEL (3pm).