LOUIS Bridges scored a late penalty as Earlswood Town drew 1-1 away at Inkberrow to halt their three-game losing run in the league.
Bridges scored from the penalty spot on 78 minutes to cancel out George Robbins’s early first-half opener at Sands Road.
The result means Earlswood sit eighth in the Midland Football League Division Two table.
And the visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Alistair Lewis who made a number of crucial saves in the first half to ensure the Earls came away with a point.
The keeper was back between the sticks for the first time in four matches and made a spectacular early stop to palm away George Thomas’s powerful effort from distance.
However, Lewis was powerless to prevent Inkberrow from taking the lead on 11 minutes when Robbins drilled an effort home after he was left free to roam down the left.
The visitors were left frustrated by decisions they felt went against them as Mikey Bridges was denied a penalty when he appeared to be upended in the box.
And Earls player Harry Street then appeared to be struck in the face during an off the ball incident with Inkberrow’s Jay Higgins-Pugsley who escaped with a yellow card.
Earlswood improved after the break, despite the worsening conditions, as M Bridges was once again brought down in the penalty area as the referee pointed to the spot.
And Mikey’s older brother Louis stepped up to draw Earlswood level with his seventh goal of the season.
The home side almost restored their lead following an almighty scramble that saw a goalline clearance, Lewis save and a deflection keep the ball out of the Earlswood net.
And the visitors almost snatched the points in injury time when Leadun Dunlevy’s flicked header bounced inches wide of the left-hand post.
Earlswood host Inkberrow in the return fixture on Saturday, January 14 with kick-off at 2pm at The Pavilions.
