Sporting Armley put themselves within one win of clinching the title with a hard-fought victory over 3rd placed Norfolk. When Armley found themselves 2-0 up after just 15 minutes, it should have been routine for Jason Lovett's side, but Norfolk battled back to make it an extremely close encounter.
Mark Pearson put Armley 2-0 up with two superbly finished penalty kicks. The first was won by Pearson himself after he was clipped in the box when about to strike. The second was awarded when Phil Wheeler hit a low cross into the box which struck the hand of a Norfolk defender.
Pearson hit both spot kicks firmly and accurately into the top left corner, which puts the left back into double figures for the season.
Sporting were missing several key players, including both goalkeepers John Moses and Dennis Spencer. Injured striker Iain McBurney volunteered to put on the gloves and help his side out, but few would have predicted what a brilliant performance he would have between the sticks.
With the score at 1-0, McBurney kept his side in the game with a brilliant penalty save diving to his left to keep his side in front. Norfolk were creating chances despite Armley's lead, and the penalty save was to prove crucial as Norfolk stunned Armley by hitting 3 goals without reply to go in front.
The first goal came late on in the first half. A free kick was given away on the edge of the box, and the Norfolk striker chipped the ball high over the wall and it dipped over McBurney and in at the far corner.
In the second half, Norfolk struck twice within the first 5 minutes. A carbon copy free kick equalised, and then a few minutes later a quick counter-attack ended with McBurney picking the ball out of his net for the 3rd time.
Sporting were stunned by the dramatic turn around, but there was still plenty of time to turn the result their way, and so it proved when the Golden Boy Danny Goulden was set up by Gareth Knight to score an equaliser with a well placed finish low to the far post.
Norfolk were playing some good football, and were unlucky not to regain the lead after several good chances were tipped to safety by the impressive McBurney in the Armley net.
Armley got their noses in front once again when Danny Goulden chipped the ball through for Aaron Dix, who ran on and struck a thunderbolt of a shot past the keeper at his near post.
With just a one goal advantage it was a nervy finish for Sporting, made more so when anchorman Anthony Morkos went off with an injury which could spell the end of his season. Jagjeet Jhagra came on to replace him, and pushed up front with Goulden in his first appearance in several months.
The substitute almost made the headlines with his first touch, powering an accurate header towards goal which the keeper only just tipped over the bar. The keeper was rattled and in the 90th minute he kicked a poor clearance straight to James Lee who struck a 30 yard effort into the net as the keeper scrambled backwards.
Armley will be happy with the three points, but not with the performance.
