Sting in the tail for Main
Maltby Main 3 Mickleover Sports 3
Danny Payne set up a would-be winner but Mickleover came back at the death to seal a point (W80310-12c) (Pics: Mark Fear)
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View GalleryBy Graham Smyth
MALTBY Main's new management team came agonisingly close to the win they desperately wanted at home to Mickleover Sports on Saturday.
Main need four wins to stay clear of relegation and were just minutes from victory in their clash with Mickleover when they conceded a late equaliser and had to settle for a 3-3 draw and a mere point.
Robbie Barron and assistant Wayne Grant told the Guardian last week that they set the team the target of 12 points to avoid the drop but an injury-time goal for Mickleover left them teetering above the drop zone on goal difference alone.
Main started well with striker Danny Payne having a low shot saved by Sports 'keeper Danny Tollerfield in the first 60 seconds and only minutes later they were ahead.
Scott Somerville set up Nicky Darker who shot past Tollerfield from 10 yards to make it 1-0.
Maltby travel to Arnold Town on Saturday, now needing to win half of their remaining eight games to stay up.
In the 10th minute Sports drew level when Kieran O'Connell scored from close range after Holmes' shot was blocked by Main defender Paul Staniforth.
Sports went close to taking the lead when Jamie Barrett's header from Adam Betteridge's corner was cleared off the line by Carl Thornton.
Three minutes before the break Main restored their lead when Payne cashed-in on a mix-up in the Sports defence by 'keeper Tollerfield and defender Barrett and nipped in to slot the ball into the empty net.
Seven minutes into the second half Main midfielder David Alder-Heaver shot over from a good position and then Sports 'keeper Tollerfield kept his side in the game with a brilliant save to deny Payne's shot from the edge of the box.
In the 72nd minute Sports came close to equalising but Chris Dickman cleared Finlay's shot off the line after Mark Blout's free-kick.
Six minutes later there was nothing Main could do to stop Mickleover from drawing level when Sean Gummer beat Bowtell-Harris in the Maltby goal with a header from a Holmes cross.
Barron's men showed their resolve and hit back straight away, Thornton getting on the end of Payne's ball and finding the net at the back post.
There was still a sting in the tail for the hosts however when deep into injury-time, Blout scored with a header from Tom Betteridge's cross.
