6:37pm Saturday 12th December 2009
By Andrew Simpson
STEVE Foster has rediscovered the habit of being on hand at the right moment.
Witton’s top scorer steered in a leveller shortly after their guests had grabbed a surprise lead, ending a sequence of three successive defeats.
Their point was a worthy one.
But Gary Finley found himself with a headache in any case after losing creative sparks Brad Maylett and Jamie Tandy to injury inside eight first half minutes.
Albion, understandably, were bereft of craft after their exit.
The former had been their best bet of conjuring an opening goal as the hosts held the upper hand in the opening exchanges.
First he teed up Tandy for a shot that was blocked, then squared for Stuart Rudd who stabbed his shot straight at keeper Richard Stainsby when well placed.
Debutant Mark Cadwallader sent Foster into space behind the Gingerbread’s back line, but his driven centre was too fast for Rudd to react.
Maylett and Tandy then exited stage left, leaving Witton to rely on set pieces as a route to goal.
Carl Ruffer came closest, heading Cadwallader’s flag kick towards the top corner only for Niall O’Rafferty – on the goalline - to reach high enough to divert the ball to safety.
At the other end keeper Craig Vernon, another making his bow at Wincham Park, clawed clear Gio Carchedi’s skimmed header from Wayne Hallcro’s deep free kick.
Grantham edged ahead five minutes into the second half.
They mixed fortune and calamity to do it when Ruffer’s attemped clearance squirting off Dave Frecklington into the path of Nick Langford who guided home an expert finish.
Foster ghosted between two defenders to meet sub Steve Brodie’s centre on 63 minutes, looping a header into the far corner to restore parity.
Cadwallader tried to repeat the trick soon afterwards, but his nod from Peter Heler’s cross dropped inches wide of the post.
The visitors’ made Vernon work twice in as many minutes.
First Carchedi skipped past two tackles before snapping a shot towards goal that the Witton number one helped over the bar.
He was tested again when Frecklington’s fierce drive forced him to save low to his left.
Albion thought they had pinched the points when Carl Lamb dived to meet Foster’s fine assist with his head, but Stainsby stopped smartly.
Star Man Craig Vernon: AFTER shipping four goals in the midweek cup defeat at AFC Fylde he could have been forgiven for showing nerves, but made a string of fine saves to keep his team in with a chance of winning the match.
Witton Vernon (GK), Heler, Pritchard, Ruffer, Neville, Maylett (Brodie 26), Henry, Cadwallader, Tandy (Moseley 34), Foster, Rudd (Lamb 77)
Goal Foster 63
Booked Foster (dissent), Ruffer (violent conduct)
Grantham Stainsby (GK), Wormall (Potts 70), Asher, Hallcro (Norris 64), Sucharewycz, Sam Saunders, Frecklington, O’Rafferty, Robinson, Carchedi, Langford
Subs not used Ben Saunders, Brooks
Goal Langford 50
Booked O’Rafferty (foul)
Referee Richard Ackers (Liverpool)
Attendance 219
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