A thoroughly entertaining game at the Castlecroft Stadium saw AFC Wulfrunians end the year on a high with a 5-2 victory against Stafford Town.
It would have been difficult to predict that scoreline after a first half that saw keeper Danny Tipton produce save after save to keep the visitors at bay, although Wulfs did have a few chances of their own too.
Stafford thought they had won a 3rd minute penalty when Morgan Hurley was brought down but the referee gave a free kick on the corner of the area which came to nothing.
Dave Asbury went close for Wulfs when his powerful header from Grant Joshua’s deep corner was well kept out by keeper Russ Todd.
From then on it became the Danny Tipton show as the big keeper became impenetrable making point blank saves from Sam Agar, Morgan Hurley, Craig Hulme and then Agar again.
Wulfs still managed to create occasional chances and Nathan Rose-Laing fired over after good work from Ash Burd down the left.
Tipton was soon back in action again forcing a clean through Agar to go wide allowing Liam Evans to get back and clear his goal bound effort of the line.
Tom Piggott went close when he forced Stafford keeper Todd to save well with his foot while at the other end Hurley chipped the ball on to the roof of the net after springing the offside trap once again.
Piggott forced another good save from Todd and Hurley dragged a shot well wide before the visitors took a deserved lead two minutes before the interval when Tipton slid out to foil John Kirby and the referee gave a penalty. Agar made no mistake from the spot.
On the stroke of half time Tipton was out sharply to deny Agar again in another one-on-one opportunity.
An injury to the referee meant he couldn’t continue in the second half and, after an extended half time interval, a replacement was found.
The long break seemed to suit Wulfs better as they took the game to the visitors and equalised on 54 minutes when Grant Joshua‘s dangerous free kick eluded everyone and went straight in at the far post.
Tom Ray then headed a Joshua corner over the bar before Wulfs took a 59th minute lead. Piggott pressured his marker to a high ball over the top and when he failed to deal with it, Burd nipped in to drive in to the area and fire past the keeper.
Two minutes later it was 3-1 when Danny Crudgington supplied a perfect through ball for Rose-Laing to draw the keeper before slotting home.
Stafford hit back within five minutes when Agar made to most of some defensive hesitation to fire home from eight yards.
Crudgington then saw his driven cross strike the top of the bar with the keeper stranded before Wulfs finally killed the game off two minutes from time. Jake Sedgemore’s header forward was cleverly lifted over the defenders by Rose-Laing who ran through to round the keeper and score.
The icing on the cake came one minute into injury time when substitute Kyle Brady, just returning from a serious injury, slammed a shot in to the top corner after being released by the marauding Asbury to complete a 5-2 victory that didn’t look possible after the first 45 minutes.
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