A late goal from Ross Paterson spared Soham Town Rangers’ blushes on Saturday as his first goal for the club secured a point following a 1-1 draw with Phoenix Sports.
Both of the game’s goals came in the final ten minutes, with Paterson’s goal sending his side to a fourth game unbeaten.
The awful weather conditions took its toll on the match, limiting both sides to only a handful of chances.
The visitors made the better start but slowly Soham started to see their share of the play, and went close through Ryan Sharman after a free kick into the Phoenix box caused havoc for the Phoenix defence.
Rangers’ keeper George Lawton was in excellent form, thwarting multiple long-range efforts from Phoenix’s attackers.
With the sides adjusting to the blustery conditions and bobbly playing surface, Soham started the second half on the attack with Swinton and Theobald having early efforts going close.
The Greens’ Sharman nearly broke the deadlock but couldn’t convert his chance as both sides went out in search for all three points.
The game seemed destined for a goalless draw until the 83rd minute.
In dramatic fashion, Phoenix Sports thought that had nicked the three points seven minutes from time, when Giannoulis Fakinos looped the ball over George Lawton and under the bar to give his side a late lead.
Soham made tactical changes after falling behind and pressed forward in the dying embers of the game, and this paid off a minute from time when Ross Paterson scored his first goal for the club after steering in a back post cross from substitute Callum Russell.
The point sees Soham move up one place to seventeenth in the Ryman Divison One North table and extends their unbeaten run to four games.
Rangers’ joint-manager Robbie Nightingale was pleased with the result and praised his side’s resilience.
He said: “The lads kept going right until the end. We can’t fault the players’ resilience, desire and hard work.”
The Greens were due to be in action on Tuesday night, but a waterlogged pitch caused their Cambridge Invitation Cup clash with Wisbech Town to be postponed, meaning Soham’s next fixture will be against Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday November 21 (3pm).
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