Last minute penalty extends Thatcham's unbeaten run to eight
A last-minute Cameron Rohart-Brown penalty rescued a point for Thatcham Town as the Kingfishers came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with promotion contenders Binfield on Valentine's Night.
Yashwa Romeo wasn't feeling the love before kick-off as he was forced to shuffle his pack after Callum Willmoth injured himself at work, but the Kingfishers boss was able to call upon the services of the returning Alfie Saunders and new signing Kamil Zielinski, who both came into the side for the visit to Hill Farm Lane.
The first half was more a Shakespearean tragedy than a Valentine's love affair for Romeo's side as two goals from former Hungerford Town frontman Conor Lynch fired the Moles into a 2-0 lead at the break.
The hosts went ahead in the 19th minute when some good build-up play between Conor Holland and Brandon Curtis created space on the right-hand side and the cross that followed picked out Lynch, who tucked the ball beyond Toby Fisher to make it 1-0.
Lynch doubled Binfield's lead four minutes before the break when the in-form frontman finished off a swift counter-attack to make it 2-0 after Brad Pagliaroli's cross, the striker celebrating his fifth goal in four games.
The visitors halved the deficit a minute after the restart when Ramarni Medford-Smith turned in Jordan Alves' free-kick to make it 2-1.
And Thatcham had the chance to snatch a point at the death when Harry Williams was fouled in the area in the final minute of added time and the referee pointed to the spot.
Rohart-Brown made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Harvey Rackley-Hayes the wrong way with a pressure-penalty that levelled the scores and extended the Kingfishers unbeaten run to eight matches.
That was a second successive 2-2 draw for Thatcham, who came from behind again on Saturday to draw with managerless Westfield.
Ninth-placed Westfield are in the market for a new manager following the resignation of Simon Lane and the visitors, under the stewardship of caretakers Dave Powell and Tristran Rees, started the better and went ahead in the 13th minute when full-back Ali Mansaray fired a first-time finish beyond Toby Fisher after good work from Florian Envoudou Ada.
It was an even contest and Thatcham found an equaliser just before the break when Harry Williams, who has impressed since signing for the Kingfishers last month, scored his second goal for the club with a thunderous strike from long range in the 43rd minute.
Thatcham were unfortunate not to be in front after the restart as a superb save from Sonny Wheeler denied the hosts but it was the visitors who had the lead again in the 56th minute when Andrew Crossley’s free-kick was met by Field skipper Luke Elliot, whose firm forehead made it 2-1 with a looping effort that beat Fisher.
Since acquiring genuine goalscorers in Williams and Alves, the Kingfishers have been near-unbeatable, losing just once in 2023 so far and it was Alves who popped up to preserve that record, scoring his third goal in three games for his new club with a strike from the edge of the box that levelled the score at 2-2.
Back-to-back draws leaves Romeo's side in 10th in the Isthmian League South Central table, nine points adrift of Marlow in the fifth and final play-off spot, and the boss isn't ruling out a late push for promotion.
"It's a long shot but we aren't giving up on the play-offs," he said.
"Momentum, Lady Mo, is with us at the moment and we're on a good run, we've become much harder to beat.
"We've shown we can bounce back, I don't think I can remember us coming from behind before this season."
Romeo will be hoping his side won't have to come from behind this weekend when Thatcham welcome ninth-placed Southall to the Stacatruc Stadium.
