Buckland Athletic battle back in ‘rollercoaster’ affair

BUCKLAND Athletic snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Shepton Mallet, battling back in a “rollercoaster of a game” on Saturday, November 14.

The Bucks made a solid start on home soil but it was their visitors who had the first big opportunity, Mike Searle saving well with an outstretched leg.

It didn’t take long for the fixture to heat up and there were players on both sides flying into tackles.

Buckland’s maiden chance saw Toby Pullman played through and he looped the bouncing ball over the oncoming goalkeeper and onto the roof of the net.

Pullman then turned provider and his cross was headed just over by strike-partner Charlie Johansen.

With the break approaching, Ryan Smith surged into the Shepton area between two defenders and won what his manager Matt Cusack described as a “soft” penalty.

He added: “Last week I thought we should have had one and didn’t so sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t.”

Smith, whose been in great form in front of goal since returning to Homers Heath, got back to his feet and sent Harry Charlesworth the wrong way.

With one pretty underwhelming half in the books, there was a riveting 45 minutes still to come.

Buckland came out of the turnaround “uncharacteristically slow” and paid the price.

Mere seconds after a Johansen cross was missed by a couple of teammates in the box, the Mallet were breaking up the other end and restored parity through Tom Ovigne.

One swiftly became two and this time it was Joel Smith who buried his chance beyond Searle.

Cusack pointed out that the scorer “ran off of” his hobbling captain Ben Carter, who was unable to continue and had to be replaced by Baga Mariko.

The combative midfielder was involved instantly, finding himself in the referee’s book after a late tackle that incensed those in the Shepton technical area.

It really was an ill-tempered clash at times and it went “from bad to worse” from the Yellows when last-man Charlie Madden was given his marching orders after dragging down his goal-bound opponent.

Rather than imploding, this latest setback seemed to light the touchpaper for Buckland though.

Jack Baxter moved it out wide to Pullman and followed the run into the box where he was on hand to head the leveller into the top corner.

The drama wasn’t done there either as Johansen used his body well to earn his side a set-piece in a dangerous spot. It looked slightly too far out for anyone to shoot but Baxter placed the ball down and then curled it home on the keeper’s other side all the same.

There were chances for one final twist with Shepton first appealing loudly for a handball in the area, then forcing Searle into a smart stop and lastly, rocketing one off of the crossbar in the last minutes.

Buckland came through to claim a big three points given the circumstances though.

Whilst Cusack highlighted his “disappointment” with the manner of the two goals conceded, he labelled the response to adversity as “amazing.”

He said: “I have to give the highest praise to my team. At 2-1, coming off the back of two defeats, we could have chucked in the towel but that isn’t this group and that’s not the character that I demand.

“That was absolutely immense and I can’t remember the last time I saw that [sort of comeback].”

One pitfall in the first half was not “getting our attacking players in the right areas of the pitch where they can really hurt the game.”

But then “The free-kick to win it was one to saviour so I’m delighted with [Baxter’s] impact in the final third.”

Buckland don’t have long to celebrate as they travel to face a strong Liskeard Athletic side on Tuesday November 17, only to then have the weekend off before visiting Elburton Villa in the FA Vase third round proper (Sat 28).