Woodbridge Town 1-1 Kirkley & Pakefield
Woodbridge Town’s opening home fixture of the 24/25 season finished all square against Kirkley & Pakefield thanks to Andrew Crowe’s late equaliser.
Connor Swan opened the scoring for the Royals in what was an evenly contested match throughout. Crowe levelled from a corner with just over 10 minutes to go to see the points shared.
The Peckers had the better of the ball in the opening 20 minutes without causing much threat to the opposition's goal besides a few decent efforts from distance.
The first clear sight of goal came from the visitors in the 25th minute when Bailey Phipps found space on the right to cross low for Macauley Holt to run onto and attack but he fired a first-time effort wide.
The visitors had a big chance after 32 minutes when Holt raced through one-on-one but Alfie Stronge rushed out and got down brilliantly to trap the ball under his foot.
Kirkley & Pakefield took the lead five minutes later from a lobbed ball over the top which Swan got on the end of. He shrugged off his man, broke into the box and slotted into the bottom left corner to open the scoring.
The Royals almost doubled their lead in the first minute of the second half when Phipps tried an effort from distance towards the near post which Stronge parried away. Holt reacted fastest to the second ball but could only fire over from close range.
The visitors went close again on the hour mark when Henry Pollock struck a free kick that looked destined for the top right corner until it was palmed away by Stronge at full stretch.
Two minutes later Woodbridge had an opportunity of their own when substitute Joe McNeil benefited from a slip at the back to get through one-on-one. He checked back onto his left and looked for the far corner but his effort shaved the outside of the post and went wide.
The Peckers went close again in the 67th minute when Connor Field was picked out in the box. He trapped the ball with his back to goal and hit a driven effort on the turn which visiting keeper Alex Blowers got down well to palm away.
The home side’s spell of dominance was rewarded in the 78th minute when Liam Ablitt swung in a deep inswinging corner which caused carnage in the box. Crowe rose highest to glance it home from close range to equalise.
The Peckers almost snatched it in stoppage time when Ablitt picked up the ball out wide before cutting inside, driving into the box and drilling a low effort through the crowd which went narrowly wide.
In the end, neither side could bag a winner which saw it end all square. Attention now turns to the FA Cup where Woodbridge travel to Sheringham on Friday night.
Woodbridge: Stronge, Marsh, Leggett, Southgate, Wiggins (Smith 88), Howlett (Barber 64), Ablitt, Kussan (Crowe 55), Keeble (McNeil 55), Field, Read Unused: Rea
Kirkley & Pakefield: Blowers, Russell, Wing, Barbour, Lawrence, Creamer, Phipps, Pollock (Hutchinson 84), Swan (Russell 66), Mondawarara (George 55), Holt Unused: Goldspink, Underdown
report by Rob Binns
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