A damp, foggy day greeted Pudsey when they arrived at Salendine Nook but there was nothing damp or foggy about their 3-3 draw against Westend Lions in the RCD League Under 11 Division I.
The visitors started brightly and took the lead after just 10 minutes when Jacob Hebdia turned 10 yards from goal to rifle a shot through a posse of players to leave keeper Oliver Salmon unsighted. Billy Gray went close for Westend with an angled right-foot shot that rebounded from the bar, but the home side were not to be denied.
Tom Hardcastle conjured a tremendous left-wing cross when all hope looked lost, allowing Matthew Sale a simple tap-in at the far post to set off a series of three goals in six minutes from 1-1.
Lewis Winteringham gave Westend the lead two minutes later but Pudsey levelled within another two minutes when William Hunt, faced with onrushing keeper Salmon to beat, remained calm to slot the equaliser into the bottom corner on the stroke of half time.
Jacob McDonald fired a William Hunt cross over the Westend bar as the game lurched from end to end but, despite some brave defending from George Noble, Winteringham and Jack McIlwrath, the visitors regained the lead when Hunt’s initial shot was blocked by keeper Salmon only for the ball to land kindly for Hebdia who scored from close range (2-3).
Westend never gave up and piled everything forward in the closing minutes and they were rewarded when Pudsey failed to clear a corner and Noble pounced to level the game with virtually the last kick (3-3).
