Cavalier and Christie Miller B met at The Beeches, Shaw, where Cavalier looked to avenge their 7-1 home loss at the hands of Miller earlier in the season.
Cavalier were in high spirits going into this game, after picking up 4 points from their previous 3 games, but their confidence took a knock after Bevan and Holman pulled out with prior commitments, and Delvin Keane failed to show up. Cavalier reshuffled their side to accommodate this, with player/manager Marcus Rossi going between the sticks, with a back four of the ever-improving Elliot Jones, Nick Harford, captain Craig Fisher and Carl Ledbury. Dan Rance assumed his right wing position, with Paul Revening dropping back to left midfield. The centre midfield combination was the new partnership of Roger and Jez Wiltshire. Jay Bowers' goalscoring form had earned him a place upfront alongside the returning Mark Torr.
The game started brightly for the away side, as Cavalier soon realised they had lots of time and space in the middle of the park, with the Wiltshire combination pulling the strings in the early stages. The pace of Rance was a constant threat down the right, and if it wasn't for a poor final cross, Cavalier could have been 3-0 within 20 minutes. Just minuted later the frst goal came, when good work down the left from the veteran Revening found Bowers in 2 yards of space, and with a smart turn inside the box, poked the ball into the bottom corner to put the visitors ahead.
In what is becoming a common trend for Cavalier this season, they soon let in the equalizer, coming from failing to defent a set-piece, when the shoertest man in the Christie Miller side found himself unmarked from a corner to head home. Cavalier continued to press until the half time whistle, with Torr, Rance and Bowers attacking with threat, but not forcing the 'keeper into any saves. HALF-TIME: 1-1.
With Cavalier knowing their only substitute was Scott Burgess, the players knew they had to dig deep and keep the tempo up in order to get anything from the game. The impressive Christie Miller striker Harry Waylen got a deserved goal midway through the half when he found himself anmarked at the back post to tap home for 2-1. With Nando Rossi imposing his knowledge and motivation from the sidelines, Cavalier pushed for an equalizer, and it came moments later when a good run and cross down the left by R Wiltshire found Bowers on the edge of the box, who low curling effort went in just out of the reach of the Miller 'keeper. Cavalier were now buoyed by the and pushed for a winning goal, but unfortunately all the possession and through balls were coming to nothing, as Mark Torr couldn't hit a cow's ass with a banjo.
Against the run of play, Miller took the lead again. A clearance from a Miller corner landed to a player lurking on the edge of the area who lashed a 25 yard volley goalbound, which came off the backside of Carl Ledbury and past the helpless Rossi.
In what was uncharacteristic of Cavalier in past matches, they showed grit and fighting spirit to get a result from this game, and deservedly claimed a dramatic late point, when good hold up play from Bowers found J Wiltshire 25 yards from goal, who unleashed a Yeboah-like thunderbolt into the top corner.
FULL-TIME: 3-3.
