TOM Kinsey scored a dramatic injury time equaliser to snatch a point for Earlswood Town against local rivals Knowle in a frantic Solihull derby in Midland Football League Division Two.
The striker somehow finished from a tight angle deep into added time to rescue a point for the Earls after Louis Bridges had earlier drawn the visitors level from the penalty spot.
Knowle twice threw away the lead after Reece Hewitt and Jacob Walton struck in either half to put the home side ahead only for Earlswood to claw back the deficit on two separate occasions at the Draintech Community Ground.
The derby clash started at a frenetic pace with Knowle closest to taking the lead through Jack Mullen’s close range header only for Earlswood goalkeeper Dan Farr to tip the effort over the bar.
And the home side were then denied the opener by the crossbar after a goalbound shot took a wicked deflection off of Joe Tobin before being hooked clear by James Wright.
Earlswood struggled to create many openings in the first half as youngster Tom Millard saw his shot comfortably saved by Ben Maxwell in the Knowle goal.
The game became a scrappy affair as the half wore on before Hewitt broke the deadlock on 38 minutes after he raced in behind the Earlswood defence before rounding the keeper and tapping home.
And Hewitt almost doubled Knowle’s lead moments later after he jinked his way into the area only to be thwarted by Farr who made an important block.
The Earls pushed for an equaliser before the break and were rewarded when Kinsey was upended in the box as Bridges coolly sent Maxwell the wrong way from the resulting spot kick to restore parity.
And the visitors were almost gifted the lead early in the second period when Maxwell inadvertently played the ball straight to Kinsey only for the striker to pass rather than shoot to spare the keeper’s blushes.
Chances were few and far between in a scrappy second half before Knowle restored their lead on 70 minutes when Walton smashed the ball high into the net after Earlswood failed to deal with Hewitt’s low cross into the box.
Earlswood went close on finding a second equaliser when Bridges sent a perfectly struck volley inches wide before substitute Dan Smith curled a shot narrowly over the bar.
However, the away side’s late pressure would eventually pay off when John Palmer’s long free-kick into the box fell to Kinsey who produced a clinical finish from the tightest of angles to earn the visitors a point.
Earlswood face another Solihull derby against Hampton on Saturday, August 27 with kick-off at 3pm at The Pavilions.
And Knowle travel to Inkberrow on the same day with kick-off also at 3pm at Sands Road.
