Norton & Stockton Ancients 2 v 2 Guisborough Town 28/07/09

Tonight's game finished 2-2 with both teams having a good run out in the lovely weather of north east England (raining heavily!!!). Both teams took a while to get going with the opening 20 minutes not giving either keeper much to do. It was Guisborough who struck first when a long range shot was parried out by the Norton goal keeper straight into the path of the incoming Guisborough striker David Onions who slotted the ball home to give them a 1-0 lead which they took into half time. Not long after the restart Guisborough extended their lead to 2-0 when a through ball fell to David Onions again who finished well over the Norton Keeper. The game looked like it was done and dusted after that but Norton started to push on late into the second half and were becoming the dominant team and their effort was rewarded when they pulled a goal back when the Guisborough keeper couldn't hold onto a shot from the left and the incoming player slotted the ball home from 6 yards to make it 2-1. Norton then had the wind in their sails and not long after pulling one back they got the equaliser when a ball was played into the box from the right and the Norton forward controlled well with his first touch and with his second put the ball away in the bottom right hand corner to make it 2-2. After that no real openings where made and the game finished 2-2 and from Norton's point of view a good comeback, however Guisborough will feel like they should have come away with the win having being the better side for most of the game. Overall not a bad game after a slow start from both sides and the weather also did its bit making the pitch a hard surface to play on. Not too sure about the £4 admission fee as well but yet another enjoyable pre-season game non the less.