Pitchero Non League

....point from a spirited encounter on Saturday which now sees the Clarets relying on a midweek slip-up from Basingstoke Town if they’re to wrestle control of a Blue Square Bet South play-off place on the final day.

Basingstoke travel to strugglers Hampton & Richmond Borough on Tuesday night for their game in hand as they sit level on points with the Clarets, who still maintain fifth place.

City manager Glenn Pennyfather admits it’s going to be tense as the Clarets wait for that result to come through, but he was otherwise pleased with a well-earned draw from a notoriously difficult venue for away sides.

“In retrospect this was an excellent point, although in the circumstances we could have done with three,” he explained after the game. “At times on Saturday we looked nervous and edgy and we were worried about making a mistake instead of trying to make things happen. It needed us to go 1-0 down before we started making those runs forward and a good penalty from Dave won us a crucial point.”

Skipper Rainford was back and available in the centre of midfield after suspension, replacing striker Jamie Slabber who was unavailable. Concussion to centre half Mark Haines sustained in the last match left a space for player of the year Kenny Clark to fill, while Warren Whitely was selected out wide instead of Ishmael Welsh.

The opening goal finally arrived as Andy Forbes headed home on 83 minutes following a tidy move from Ian Baird’s team.

That rang the alarm bells for Pennyfather’s away side, who responded quickly. Ricky Modeste was felled by Michael Green in the box and Rainford stepped up to confidently slam home the 88th-minute penalty.

Pennyfather reflected: “We look to Tuesday now and see what Basingstoke can come up with, who are also in desperate need of the points. We’ve had our opportunities to keep this in our own hands and haven’t taken them - and fair play to Basingstoke. When the fixtures came out I always suspected there would be something in our last game at home to Woking, and we know exactly what we’ve got to do.”

Tags: News | Chelmsford City

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