Tim Babington scored a late equaliser for Lydd Town to earn a well-deserved but hard-fought point against AFC Whyteleafe in the Southern Counties East football league, last weekend.
The long trip to Surrey looked to be a losing one, as Whyteleafe dominated a first half that saw them take the lead in the 28th minute, when their young winger jinked his way into the box and fired the ball into the roof of the net. Things went from bad to worse when a freekick was volleyed past Lydd keeper Connor Collins to make it 2-0.
Late in the half, Lydd finally started to display their talents when a fine long-range effort from Tyler Sterling stung the hands of the Whyteleafe ‘keeper, before Richard Atkins finally took advantage of a goalmouth blunder to claw a goal back for Lydd on the stroke of halftime.
There must have been a few strong words from manager Mickey Doyle during the interval as Lydd came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. Lydd took the game by the scruff of the neck and were unlucky not to draw level in the 50th minute when a header from Richard Atkins went straight to the ‘keeper. Ryan Philpott then blazed a shot over the bar and with a rattled Whyteleafe team struggling to retain control of the game, things boiled over and the home team had a player sent off for head-butting the Lydd skipper.
Lydd took full advantage and pressed home the attack but it took till the 88th minute for Tim Babington to head home the equaliser. With a final score of 2-2, it can only be wondered what things could have been had Lydd played the first half as well as they did the second.
Lydd Town are home to FC Elmstead for their next match on January 28. Kick-off 3pm
Image Credits: John Botton .