Flixton 2 Maine Road 3

FLIXTON suffered a last gasp defeat at home to Maine Road, as an injury time winner gave the visitors a 3-2 win.

Maine Road started the game at a quick tempo and opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, Olly McGee heading home after the ball had been floated to the back stick.

Flixton found it hard to establish a foothold in the game but did come close on the half hour mark when Dave Etock was fouled on the edge of the box and Franny Vaughan saw his free kick tipped over the bar by Greg Hall.

This spurred the hosts into action and Hall was called into action again after some good set-up play between Joz Mitten and Anthony Hargreaves.

But Maine Road doubled their lead against the run of play when Hall kicked the ball downfield and found Jerome Wright, who put the ball through the legs of Flixton keeper Andy Robertson.

On the stroke of half time Flixton pulled a goal back after a cross from the left bobbled out in the box and fell to Mitten, the striker firing the ball into the roof of the net.

After the break, Maine Road seemed content to sit on their lead, allowing Flixton to gain the upper hand.

Mitten was unlucky not to equalise when he dragged his shot wide of the goal but Maine Road replied as a Luke Mack shot hit the post.

Flixton eventually equalised when Mitten and Steve Tobin combined, the latter bursting into the box and hitting a low drive into the net.

Both sides went in search of the winning goal and Neil Chappel should have scored, only to put his header wide of the post.

And then the home side were hit by a sucker punch, as former Flixton player Mike Turner met a cross from the right and headed home in injury time.

Flixton were not finished and Robertson headed just wide after coming up for a corner but they could not find an equaliser.

On Saturday December 9 Flixton are in FA Vase action away at Durham City, the tie to be played at Eppleton CW, kick off 3pm.

The reserves are away at Cheadle Town, also 3pm.