Last-gasp Loaring steals the points
MATT LOARING snatched a brilliant three points for the Green Lions at VCD Athletic with a stoppage time penalty at The Oakwood Ground, Crayford.
Loaring, who had earlier netted on the brink of half-time, made the home side pay when Ricardo Joseph lunged in clumsily and caught Charlton Gauvain late as he crossed the ball.
It was left to Loaring to keep his cool and he did just that to cap a memorable day which saw the visitors fly over with just 11 players and meet two more – keeper Cal Stanton and London-based 16-year-old Tom Jackson – at the game.
Against expectations of stand-in coach Steve Sharman veteran defender Sam Cochrane did not travel.
The Green Lions looked up against it against a strong VCD Athletic side but showed the grit to come from behind twice in the first half before nicking it at the end to send them up into a more comfortable mid-table position of 11th.
There was a slice of good fortune for VCD as they took the lead on 13 minutes, but having struggled early on, the Sarnians responded positively and after Carlos Canha had spurned an excellent chance to level on 20 minutes the first equaliser came.
Loaring was tripped a few yards outside the box and Charlton Gauvain delivered a perfect free-kick over the wall that nestled in the top-left corner of the net.
Hudson restored the home side’s lead, but on the brink of half-time Will Fazakerley’s surging run and pass picked out Loaring at the near post and the stalwart got there ahead of his marker to force the ball in.
The second half saw far fewer chances but with Sharman opting to make no changes from the bench his pragmatism and no-risk approach paid off with the late winner.
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