Alsager Town 3-3 Cheadle Heath Nomads
Attendance: 98
Alsager Town welcomed fifth placed Cheadle Heath Nomads to Wood Park, as they looked to win their third match in a row.
The Bullets scored seven goals in their previous two matches, most recently beating Stockport Georgians 3-2.
Alsager were dominant in the first half, outplaying the Nomads in every area of the pitch. Kieran Hamm had the ball in the net early on, assisted by Ashton Brogan, but it was ruled offside.
It did not take long, though, for the Bullets to get their first goal. Hamm drilled a cross to Matty Argent-Barnes, whose composed finish made it 1-0.
Alsager doubled their lead when captain, Ryan Goodwin, headed the ball across the goal from Samuel Howell’s free kick. The goalkeeper, Ryan Forde, punched the ball away, but it landed straight at the feet of Hamm, who struck the ball well and scored.
The Bullets made it three before half time when Argent-Barnes spotted Forde out of position and scored from outside the box, landing the ball in the bottom right corner.
They could have led by more after 45 minutes, as Hamm had two promising chances, but Forde made some important saves, which kept his side in the game.
Half time: Alsager Town 3-0 Cheadle Heath Nomads
The momentum shifted drastically in the second half, as Cheadle Heath Nomads looked like a team transformed.
They survived a scare, when one of their players looked to have thrown a punch, during a clash between the players, but he was only given a yellow card.
The Nomads soon began their comeback, with Jack Ryan scoring from the right of the goal. And they had another big chance, when a low cross into the box found one of their attackers, but he failed to connect with the ball.
Alsager had a rare chance in the second half, through a counter attack. Hamm received a through ball and got his shot away, but it was aimed straight at the goalkeeper.
Cheadle Heath continued controlling the game and scored, when the ball was headed to Haani Rahman from a free kick, who headed it in, leaving his side just one goal behind.
And moments later the Nomads were awarded a penalty, for a foul just inside the box. Rahman struck his spot kick right of the keeper to complete their impressive comeback.
There were fears around the ground that Cheadle Heath Nomads would score a late winner, but they were unable to craft another clear-cut chance before the referee blew his whistle to end the match.
Full time: Alsager Town 3-3 Cheadle Heath Nomads
The draw puts Alsager in second place, but Winsford United, who are one point behind, have a game in hand.
The Bullets now turn their attention to Tuesday as they take on Market Drayton Town in the Macron Cup. The match kicks off at 7:45pm at Wood Park.
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