Cam Bulldogs 2 Brockworth Albion 2
A REAL goalkeeping howler allowed Cam to salvage a point from a game that they looked to have thrown away after dominating from the first whistle.
Player-manager Stuart Grimwood bemoaned his side's carelessness in front of goal.
He said: "We are very disappointed to have only drawn the game after creating so many chances."
Before the game the Bulldogs may well have taken a point as Kris Pritlove, Jer Coburn and Paul Street were all ruled out causing Grimwood to call up 46-year-old Ronnie Allen at centre-back.
However, with Allen more than comfortable and chances galore created at the other end a draw was the least Cam deserved.
The home side could have been ahead inside ten minutes, but after cutting in from the right Joe Iatalese got little power behind his shot.
Soon afterwards Loz Dorman forced the goalkeeper to make his first real save following a strong run from halfway.
The Bulldogs pressure eventually told on 20 minutes when Allen found Iatalese with a ball down the right and he picked out opposite wing-back Pete Holder who converted the cross at the far post.
Brockworth had offered virtually nothing but drew level when Mark Temple's hugely optimistic 40-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection off Danny McIntosh to leave Ben Jagger helpless.
Cam could still have led at half-time though, but Iatalese fired over when well placed.
Fifteen minutes into the second half Albion were reduced to ten men when a forward - who had only come on as sub after half an hour - earned a second yellow card for a late challenge on Jagger.
However, no sooner were the visitors outnumbered than they went into a shock lead.
An excellent run down the right caused the Bulldogs problems but the resultant cross looked harmless enough until Ian Cheshire got in his goalkeeper's way and Shaun Tout was given a tap-in from close range.
The home side laid siege to the Brockworth goal thereafter in a desperate search for an equaliser.
Dorman fizzed a shot over, while Grimwood was denied by a wonderful save from a free-kick earned by a dazzling Simon Penny run.
But just when it looked as if the visitors would frustrate their hosts they gifted them a goal back.
Holder broke through several tackles on the left but was as surprised as everyone else to see his mishit shot slip through the goalkeeper's hands and into the net.
The Bulldogs may have forced a winner but neither Grimwood or substitute Sean Clune could convert opportunities in the last ten minutes.
Cam: B Jagger, R Allen, S Penny, B Price, J Iatalese, D McIntosh, S Grimwood, I Cheshire, P Holder, J Barnfield, L Dorman (S Clune 80). Goals: Holder (20,75).
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