Minutes away from humiliation, Zion FC somehow managed to comeback from 5-3 to draw against Scarletfusion. A David Jones hat-trick and a Tommy Powell brace got the five goals for Zion in a lacklustre performance that they were fortunate to gain a point from.
Just as kick off time arrived the heavens opened and rain made an awkward fixture for Zion even more tricky. The slippery surface and the hostile conditions proved to be a leveller as Zion failed to dominate Scarletfusion like they had done in previous meetings. It was the team in green that struck first. A decent move culminated in a confident finish. Zion responded, but with a lack of a final ball frustration set in amongst players and fans. The equaliser did arrive however, when Alex Ternouth broke forward and played David Jones through. Jones calmly slotted in off the near post to draw Zion level. The remainder of the half saw a few chances without there being much creative football. Steve Winter made several decent saves, but the players on the pitch were struggling to string successive passes together. Sacrletfusion had the better work rate and desire, but they also found passing with accuracy difficult and this made for a scrappy affair.
Scrappy was definately the adjective most suited to the second half also. Despite a surge of goals the football was not always pretty and passing was ofetn sloppy. The first sloppy moment wasn't Zion's passing however. A misunderstanding in defence allowed a looped goal kick to send a Scarletfusion player through on goal. The ball coulod and should have been dealt with but the mistake allowed a grateful Fusion player to tap home to restore their lead. It went from bad to worse for Zion whose desire to win showed no signs of improving. They condeded again when former loanee Jack tapped home after determined play. David Jones clawed a goal back for the Lions when he struck into the bottom left from some distance. The belief of a comeback seemed to be extinguished when a shot from distance squirmed through Steve Winter's hands. The veteran stopper made amends with some fine saves later in the half. Dan Shotton and Tommy Powell combined to allow the latter to delicately pass the ball past the keeper from a ridiculously tight angle. "A fantastic finish" was Alan Shearer's assessment in the Match of the day studio. At 4-3 Zion felt they had a chance, but were then dissappointed further when Scarletfusion struck again on the break. 5-3. 90 seconds to go. Game Over? Not when you play for Zion FC. David Jones latched onto Alex Ternouth's pass and hammered his shot home. Seconds later Ternouth marauded down the left and saw his shot fumbled by the keeper. Tommy Powell was on hand to tap home and make it 5-5! Drama at the end of a poor performance. The point keeps Zion top, but they will; be upset that they didn't take advantage of Deer Park Rangers and Real Portslade's draw.
Reaction to follow.....................
