Round-up: Late goals halt Dudley Town's unbeaten streak
Boss Matty Lovatt urged his Dudley Town players not to get too downbeat after they were beaten 3-1 at Brocton.
The Robins saw a nine-match unbeaten run come to an end as they conceded three times in the final 18 minutes in Staffordshire.
Matthew Funge had given the visitors a first half lead but the home side hit back to win with Christian Blanchette netting a quickfire brace before Connor Haddaway made the game safe.
Defeat saw Dudley slip to sixth in the Midland Premier Division table but Lovatt called on his team to quickly rebound, with a JW Hunt Cup tie at home to Pelsall Villa to come on Tuesday.
“We are disappointed to lose but we won’t get too downbeat and over-react,” he said.
“Brocton deserved their win. The fact we played them twice in a week probably didn’t help us.
“We lost Joey Buckley to injury early on but there are no excuses, it is all about adapting.
“We are not going to be too downbeat. We have massive, massive games coming up and injuries do not help but we will look to be adaptable.”
Town’s defeat allowed AFC Wolverhampton City to leapfrog them in the table courtesy of a 1-0 win at Romulus. Carlo Franco scored the only goal of the afternoon with a well-placed header.
Kyle Batchelor scored a stoppage time winner as Tividale edged a seven-goal thriller at home to Highgate United.
Tivi fought back to level three times before substitute Batchelor pounced at the death to snatch all three points.
Lye Town also pulled off an impressive comeback after they went two goals down inside eight minutes at home to Winsford.
Alfie Steward pulled one back before half-time and then levelled with 12 minutes remaining before Alfie Didlock hit the winner.
Gornal Athletic boss Stuart How hailed two “moments of brilliance” after his Division One leaders won 3-2 at Saffron Dynamo.
Taylor Homer scored all three goals for the visitors, including two penalties, as Gornal hit the 50-point mark just 19 matches into the season.
But How wasn’t impressed with the overall performance.
“Ultimately we have won because of two moments of brilliance, not because of dominance,” he said.
“We weren’t quite at our best today. That said, the two pieces of play which won both penalties were really good football. We found a way to get over the line.”
Bilston Town boss Dave King admitted Harry Dixon had given him a “headache” after scoring a hat-trick in their 7-3 thrashing of Stapenhill.
“I told him to give me a headache and he has certainly done that,” said King. “I thought he was excellent. They were three different goals. I am very pleased for him.
“He’s not played much but he’s stuck at it and he’s shown what he can do now.”
Elsewhere, Smethwick Rangers were edged out 1-0 at Nuneaton Griff, while Wednesfield Community went down 4-0 at Sutton United.
Eccleshall are up to second in Division One South of the North West Counties League after a 3-1 win at Wolves Casuals.
Jacob Vernon scored either side of Alex Coster’s leveller for the hosts, with Dan Glover then making the points safe late on.
An 89th minute Patryk Mazurkiewicz penalty earned Stafford Town a 1-1 draw at Stockport Georgians but Wolves Sporting Community remain bottom after losing 2-1 at Foley Meir.
