AFC Emley slipped to a 4-2 defeat at Rossington Main – losing their grasp on the top spot in the Northern Counties East League’s first division in the process.
Josh Ingham and Sam Jerome both got on the score sheet in the second half to bring Emley back from 2-0 down, but two goals in a minute were enough to see Rossington win the game.
The result sees Emley drop down to second in the table below Pontefract Colleries, but a win over Winterton at home tonight would Darren Hepworth’s side will see them reclaim the top spot.
Goals from Brad Billam, Lee Holmes and a debut brace from Cameron Johnson however, were enough to see hosts Rossington take the three points.
Rossington took an early lead when winger Billam made his way into the Emley area before striking a left footed effort into the roof of the net, that left keeper Adam Lawlor stranded.
Rossington made it 2-0 just before the interval, when Johnson managed to find himself goal side of Paul Sykes before calmly slotting under the body of the advancing Lawlor.
The second half started much brighter for the visitors, a Michael Starkey free kick bouncing off the post, with Josh Ingham diving in to head home the rebound.
Emley found themselves on level terms midway through the second half.
A Michael Tunnacliffe free kick was glanced home by the head of Sam Jerome.
Rossington soon found themselves back in front, Holmes managed to get beyond his man, before squaring a ball back into the box, where Johnson was waiting to tap home.
The home sides advantage was doubled almost instantly when Holmes managed to get the wrong side of the Emley defence before firing past Lawlor.
Emley started the game poorly as Billam fired an effort into the roof of the net, however the goal didn’t wake Emley up as Holmes struck an effort past the post, while Johnson failed to capitalise on a weak back pass from Starkey.
The striker only managing to put his effort wide of the post.
At the other end, Emley were struggling to muster any real attempts on goal, Tunnacliffe saw a free kick pushed away by Simon Dye, while Sykes also saw the keeper equal to a close range header, before Johnson atoned for his earlier miss by slotting home Rossington’s second goal of the game.
The second half started brighter for the visitors, with Ingham heading a goal back from close range.
Ashley Flynn came close to grabbing Emley’s equaliser however he volleyed wide from just inside the area.
Flynn nearly became the provider as his hook back was met by the head of Steven Kenworthy, but his header went wide.
The equaliser did come, Jerome rising highest to glance home a Tunnacliffe free kick. It could have been three, however Flynn saw his effort cleared off the line by a recovering defender.
At the other end, Emley nearly gifted the hosts the lead as Starkey was caught in possession by Holmes, he managed to chip the advancing Lawlor, but saw his ball cleared off the line in the nick of time by the recovering Jerome.
Then came the two goals in the space of a minute, with Johnson tapping in a Holmes cross, while Holmes coolly finished the game off when he slotted under Lawlor.
Following the goal, neither side created many telling efforts, Johnson struck an effort at Lawlor, whilst Tunnacliffe hit a long range effort into the body of Dye.
