Shepshed 3-3 Loughborough

Loughborough Dynamo came from behind twice to salvage a point in the first #DynamoDerby of the season.

Despite being the better side, Loughborough fell behind on the stroke of half time before taking the lead midway through the second half. Shepshed battled back and thought they’d won it with a late penalty before a stoppage time equaliser earned them a point.

The result was only the second draw between these two sides in 28 fixtures as both sides will feel they could and probably should have won.

After 4 players made their debuts for Loughborough on Saturday, there was one more debutant in this side as Jonathan White came into the starting lineup.

And right from the off, Loughborough were the better side. Within the first minute they had a chance to go ahead as Rob Norris had a free kick parried out to White whose rebound was well saved.

In particular, Mo Bangura looked lovely down the right and caused the Shepshed defence problems on numerous occasions. Bangura came closest to scoring after a keeper error led to a cross coming into the box and his overhead kick went just wide.

But you have to be clinical enough to score when you’re top and Loughborough couldn’t do that in the first half. And they paid the price for it when a poor defensive pass at the back was pounced on by Mason Lee to make it 1-0 to Shepshed.

During that goal, Chad Timson went down for Loughborough and had to be replaced. Things went from bad to worse for The Moes when Jack Gibson had to be stretchered off on the verge of half time with a nasty injury.

Going a goal down seemed to fire the away side up, and they were level just a couple of minutes after the interval. George Ball had come on for Timson towards the end of the first half and he got Dynamo level with a low shot from the left.

Loughborough pushed on after the equaliser and it wasn’t long before they were ahead as Jonathan White fired home from the centre of the box as the ball fell kindly for him.

For ten minutes after the goal, Shepshed were rattled and it looked like there would only be one winner. But again, Loughborough couldn’t kill the game off and another error at the back saw Mason Lee hit a 30 yard strike into an open goal to level the scores.

After that it was Loughborough who were rattled and Shepshed thought they’d found a winner just five minutes from the end through James Snedden but the linesman has his flag up.

With three minutes to go Shepshed were given a penalty as their attacker got the wrong side of the defender. Snedden stepped up and scored the penalty and it looked like that was that.

However, this new look Loughborough team has shown a real never say die attitude in recent games and deep into added time George Ball popped up and silenced the Shepshed crowd with a great finish after a good ball by Bangura.

Loughborough Dynamo team: King, Timson (Ball 43’), Parker, Minkley, Bucci, T Marshall, Furey, Norris (C), Gibson (A Marshall 45’), White (Herbert 79’), Bangura

Unused sub: Pettet

Yellow cards: A Marshall, Furey

Goals: Ball x2, White

Attendance: 507