Thursdays blow two-goal lead (From Free Press Series)

Thursdays blow two-goal lead

Abergavenny Thursdays 2 Whiteheads 3

THIS was a game Thursdays won, drew, then lost in the most infuriating ninety minutes of football manager Bill Mainwaring has had to endure, since taking over at the club.

At the very least, Thursdays rid themselves of their one nemesis -- scoring goals - but shook hands with another, leaking them, all in the time it took the joys of a two-nil lead to encircle the grief of defeat.

Mainwaring openly admitted his disappointment, saying it was a game they shouldn't have lost.

"This is the most disappointing result of the season. We scored two goals in the opening twenty minutes and we were looking really good.

"Then, all of a sudden, the boys realised they we were winning, panicked and that was the end of it. From then on we were under pressure for the rest of the game and never looked like scoring again," said Mainwaring.

New signing Shane Barry - former Tranmere Rovers trialists - got both of Thurs-day's goals, in probably the club's finest twenty minutes of football this season, so far.

Yet the pressure of unfamiliar territory soon crept onto the field as Thursdays slipped back into their old ways, and failed to maintain a strong enough defensive line to hold a relatively poor Whiteheads side at bay.

"It's just hard to put my finger on where it went wrong. Usually we concede a goal and can't get back in it, but this time we did everything right for the first twenty minutes and then blew it. When we should have been tight, we let them in," said boss Mainwaring.

Thursdays face a trip to Crusaders this Saturday, kick off 2.15pm, and Mainwaring is hoping experienced midfielder Mark Tucker is available for selection.

"I think if we'd had Mark on Saturday, he would have held the midfield together. Hopefully he will be back."