Frome Town 1 – 1 Corby Town – Calor Southern Premier League , Sat. 16th Nov.

Frome Town were so close to their long awaited first home victory of the season, but almost inevitably, an injury time equaliser from Moussa Diarra cancelled out a 61st minute goal by Frome’s Rhys Baggridge and the points were shared.

Manager Brian O’Donnell included new signings Tim Stephenson and Matt Clark straight into the side and Jack Metcalfe returned to the squad from Welton Rovers. Ben Wood was out with injury and the returning Bryan Smith started at number nine after several weeks out with injury.

Frome were a little slow to get going and Darren Chitty saved well from Charles Mpi within two minutes and produced another great save in the 13th minute to push away a long range screamer from Jordan Parkes which looked like it was destined for the top corner.

However, Frome came back and Matt Smith set up Rhys Baggridge for a shot that rolled across the area, so surprising Bryan Smith that he completely missed his kick at the ball from an unmarked position 12 yards out. A dipping volley from Brandon Mundy kissed the top of the visitor’s net after good work from Matt Smith, and after Chitty recovered from a knock sustained as he saved from Mpi in the 26th minute, the remainder of the first half was a pretty even affair that produced no further chances. An even start to the second half saw Frome start to look dangerous on the break, and after Matt Smith broke and crossed from the right, Laurie Walker was called on to make his first real save of the match to deny Baggridge in the 58th minute.

However, Walker was powerless to stop Frome taking the lead a few minutes later as Matt Smith produced a superb ball to set George Russell free on the right and this time his low right wing cross was swept home by Baggridge from eight yards out to give Frome the lead.

Stung into action, Hemel responded and started to take the game to Frome with a lot of possession in the Frome half of the pitch. However, the home defence looked solid and capable with Tim Stephenson and Josh Ford combining well for their first game together at the centre of the defence.

Hemel’s pressure eventually started to create chances and Chitty saved low in the 71st minute, Oliver Hawkins headed  cross way over the Frome bar in the 75th minute and Chitty produced a miraculous triple save to deny Mpi in the 83rd minute as the pressure mounted.

With the referee seeming to give a lot of decisions in favour of the visitors, Frome were denied a big penalty shout in the 85th minute as Matt Smith was bundled over in the Hemel penalty area, and with home fingernails being bitten to the quick as the clock ticked down, the seemingly inevitable happened in the second minute of injury time, as a mazy run by substitute Wilson Carvalho took three defenders out of the game, and allowed Moussa Diarra to bundle the ball home from close range for the equaliser, with the final whistle blowing shortly afterwards.