For the second week running, Elston United came back from a losing position to snatch a last-minute draw. In a classic ‘game-of-two-halves’, The Clams fought back from a 3-0 half-time deficit to earn a well-earned point against Clifton All-Whites and even had chances to take all three points.

After a relatively quiet opening to the game, the home team went ahead in the 25th minute when a cross from the left found Clifton’s striker in the box who made no mistake from 12 yards. A minute later, Clifton doubled their lead when a shot unluckily squirmed under Elston’s stand-in keeper Jake Leadbetter’s dive, before adding a third goal just before the half-time whistle.

Throughout the first half, Elston’s defensive organisation was below the standards they had shown in the early stages of the season, but some half-time adjustments made a big difference. Clifton’s young and talented team found it much more difficult to create goal-scoring opportunities in the second period and repeatedly gave the ball to Elston.

In the 55th minute James Scott was fouled in the Clifton box and picked himself up to score with a low strike from the penalty spot. Ten minutes later, Scott scored his second with a far-post volley from an excellent Barney Repper cross from the right.

By this point, Elston were dominating possession, territory and opportunities and there were further good goalscoring opportunities for Scott, Sam Lloyd and James Clarke. Importantly, Elston never gave up, and in the final minute of normal time a move involving eight Elston players ended with Scott volleying home a Tom Hazelwood cross for his and Elston’s third goal. There was still time for Toby Cullen to see his 10-yard shot cleared off the line by a Clifton defender, but at the final whistle Elston celebrated another hard-earned comeback draw.

Elston United: Jake Leadbetter, Barney Repper, James Smith, Toby Craven, Xander Millar, Sam Lloyd, Archie Dillon (Toby Cullen, 65), Thomas Hazelwood, James Scott, Will Veys (Teddy Furman, 62), James Clarke (Louis Cross, 75). Subs not used: Tom Newbould, Adam Frear