Two Kieran Ryan strikes and Ashley Flynn’s 44th goal of the season weren’t enough for AFC Emley to see a determined Selby Town who claimed a 3-3 draw at the Welfare Ground.
Emley’s winning streak ended in with a below-par performance against a Selby side who ended up with 10 men.
Flynn opened the scoring, before Danny Norton equalised for Selby, who went down to 10 early in the second half as Louis Rowbottom received his second yellow of the game.
Luke Anderson then gave the depleted away side the lead not long after coming on as a substitute, which was then cancelled out by Kieran Ryan.
Another Selby substitute, Craig Muirhead, then made it 3-2, only for Ryan to grab his second of the game to bring the scores level once again.
The contest started well for Emley, who had won their last five in a row, when Flynn’s effort found a way in past Selby goalkeeper Ciaran Gibson via the post as he scored for the eighth consecutive league game.
The 17th minute brought the leveller for Selby, when Norton caused problems down the right, before cutting inside and beating Adam Lawlor in the Emley goal.
The second half started with the referee brandishing a red card to Rowbottom following a challenge on the edge of the area, deeming it a second bookable offence.
Jordan Townend then sent the resulting free kick just over the crossbar.
Emley then broke after Selby lost possession, with Ryan releasing Jordan Coduri down the right, and his run into the area resulted in Ruben Jerome putting in a shot which Gibson managed to get fingertips to turn it over the bar.
Lawlor made a comfortable save from a long distance strike by Jamie Forrester which bounced just in front of the keeper, making it potentially awkward to deal with on the wet surface, but he had no such issues.
The 10 men then took the lead, with Anderson collecting a free kick played over the top, taking a touch and lifting it into the bottom corner over Lawlor.
Emley tried to find an immediate equalizer, with Ruben Jerome running to the by-line and cutting it back, but could only find a Selby defender.
The equalizer did come soon enough, when Michael Tunnacliffe’s ball back into the box following a corner found Sam Jerome’s head, beating the keeper, who had come to meet the ball, but he could only hit the post.
Fortunately for Emley, the ball rebounded to Ryan, who tucked it into the net to make it 2-2.
Remarkably, Selby then regained the lead two minutes from time, as substitutes Anderson and Craig Muirhead combined well down the right, with Muirhead playing it to his teammate, before getting the return on the inside and shifting the ball to his left and firing back across Lawlor into the bottom right.
Emley kept on fighting though and were rewarded in the 90th minute, when Flynn was presented with a shooting opportunity, and his effort was parried by Gibson into the path of Ryan, who made no mistake to tie the game again at 3-3, which was the way it stayed.
Emley have now passed 100 goals in all competitions this season, and have only lost one of their last 11 league games.
However, they are next in action tomorrow night when they are at home Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup third round Parkgate (7.45).
