Richard Stewart's late equalizer earned Almond Tree a well deserved point away to Sunday league veterans MSC Active.
MSC Active took the lead mid way through the first half. Capitalizing on some sloppy defending by Almond Tree, MSC managed to work their way down the left hand side, before scuffing a finish that managed to roll inside keeper Matt Bridge's near post.
With most of the ball being spent in the air during the first half, chances were few and far between until MSC doubled their lead shortly before the break. MSC, again down the left hand side, won a corner in which Almond Tree failed to clear, allowing a simple finish for the Active striker to tap in.
An incredible goal line clearence from centre back Joe Pybus rescued further humiliation for the Trees after MSC active's striker managed to round Bridge before placing his shot. That was until Pybus managed to track back and at full stretch, knock the ball off the line.
Almond Tree should have pulled one back late in the first half as the ball fell to striker Jack White, who blazed over from just inside the box.
The yellows decided to ring the change things up at the break, with Kingham and Bartaby coming on for White and Fox in a move that proved pivotal and turned the tide of the match.
Almond Tree piled on the pressure early in the second half, with sub Scott Bartaby coming close with a near post shot and James Douglas somehow managing to blaze wide with the goal at his mercy in a chance where it looked easier to score.
Tempers frayed mid way through the second half as a clearly frustrated Joe Pybus flew into a high tackle on one of the MSC active's centre midfielders, which on another day could have seen red. The referee had his work cut out as a fracas between both teams broke out, with Almond Tree eventually substituting Pybus before a football match quickly became a boxing match.
Almond Tree upped the tempo as soon as the game got restarted, pressing from the front with Legate and Stewart not letting the defence rest for a second.
They eventualy got the break through after substitute Lee Kingham received the ball from a throw, whipped a delicious ball in, bamboozling every player as everyone seemed to miss it, making its way past the keeper and in at the far post. This was exactly the breakthrough Almond Tree needed, and now they had MSC on the back foot.
In somewhat controversial manner, Legate was disgracefully disallowed a goal for offside. Fox and Kingham combined down the right before the latter floated the ball in, with the MSC keeper spilling the cross on to the waiting Legate, who placed his header into the open net, only to find the linesmans flag denying the equalizer Almond Tree so rightly deserved.
The trees did not let the bad decision deter their pressure as finally, with around 6 minutes remaining, a goalmouth scrambe from a corner ensued after Legate rose to meet the cross, forcing the MSC keeper into an incredible acrobatic save. The ball landed to gascoyne who's effort looked to have crossed the line, although not according to the referee, before eventually left winger Richard Stewart was there to volley in from 3 yards out.
