On a grey and gloomy afternoon at Cottom Hall, the sun may not have been shining, but the opposition dugout certainly brightened things up with some questionable comedy. Rossendale’s manager seemed to have taken a detour from the local open mic night, treating everyone to a stand-up routine that was more miss than hit. Poulton started the game brightly, eager to make a statement. Within minutes, they had fashioned an early chance with some slick build-up play. Meanwhile, from the Rossendale sidelines, the sound of confusion echoed as their management loudly pondered, “What are we doing?” Perhaps they’d forgotten what they came for—a football match, not a comedy gig. Despite Poulton’s dominance in the first half, they struggled to convert their control into clear-cut chances. Freddy Kenyon, who was lively all game, gave Rossendale’s defenders a few headaches and set up Billy Mac for a first-time shot. Unfortunately, the shot was straight at the keeper. In classic football irony, it was Rossendale who broke the deadlock against the run of play. Max Landless slipped at a crucial moment, leaving Rossendale to counter attack and take a surprising 1-0 lead. The Poulton faithful sighed, while Rossendale’s dugout probably cracked another joke, although this one might’ve actually been funny. Poulton, however, weren’t laughing and quickly regrouped. Their hard work paid off when Chris Glynn, always alert, robbed a Rossendale player of the ball and sent a perfectly weighted pass to Toby Scammell, who made no mistake in firing home the equaliser. The second half resumed in similar fashion to the first: Poulton controlled the game, while Rossendale’s management controlled the jokes. Unfortunately for Poulton, in the 53rd minute, their defence made a comedy of errors that even the opposition’s manager couldn’t have scripted, gifting Rossendale an underserved second goal. The Poulton confidence took a hit, and the match descended into a bit of a scrappy affair, with both teams giving the referee plenty to do. Poulton pushed for another equaliser, and as the clock ticked down, it seemed like Rossendale might actually steal all three points. But in the 96th minute, after some fine work on the right by Noah Sawkins, the ball found its way to Freddie Livesey. With a clever backward header, he set up Corey Harrison, who drove the ball through a crowded penalty area to secure a dramatic last-gasp equaliser. The Poulton supporters erupted—scenes! After the match, Poulton’s manager Dale Azzopardi summed it up: “I’m happy we got the equaliser and showed great determination and character to get back into the game twice. I’m now off to Blackpool to get a tattoo!” Next Saturday, Poulton will travel to Fulwood Amateurs, hoping for fewer jokes and more goals. Full Gallery Post Views: 111 9 Like Post navigation Dominant Poulton Triumphs Despite Sloppy Second Half: A Win That Could Have Been Double Digits Poulton Reserves Secure 4th Straight Win in Gritty 1-0 Victory Over Fulwood Amateurs!