Swans sunk by last-gasp goal

CHRIS Mawbey made Stapenhill pay a heavy price for a string of missed chances in Saturday ʼs Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division encounter at Edge Hill, writes BRIAN TRAIN.

The Swans should have put the game beyond the reach of the visitors in the first half and were punished when Mawby struck with a header in stoppage time.

Kieran Stephenson gave the Swans a deserved lead but the writing was on the wall when Richard Hanslow levelled the scores just before the hour mark.

Second-placed Ivanhoe looked ill at ease in the opening stages, with Stapenhill’s Paul Furniss directing a thumping header too high from a Ben Kelly-Walley corner kick.

The hosts went even nearer after Danny Lonergan pounced on a slip by Mawbey, but Stephenson right-foot shot was smartly saved by Jon Noon.

The keeper also had to dip over a deep cross from Danny Chatfield before the Swans got their reward on 21 minutes.

A mistimed header by Mawbey caused chaos in the visitors’ defence and Lonergan threaded a pass through to Stephenson, who made no mistake with a shot into the bottom corner.

The Swans almost doubled their lead 10 minutes later but Stephenson’s lob rebounded off an upright after the striker had been sent clear by Karl Chadfield.

It was one-way traffic at this stage, but Stephenson headed over and Furniss shot tamely into the arms of Noon.

It was a different Ivanhoe team that came out for the second half and a spell of possession resulted in them drawing level in the 58th minute.

Former Swans player Callum Keenan supplied Hanslow and the striker twisted and turned in the box before unleashing a shot that took a deflection that left keeper Andy Beeston helpless.

Midfielder Mark Muir made a mess of a one-on-one with Beeston, who was then well positioned to deal with a Hanslow header.

The Swans weathered the storm to make three decent chances of their own, the first falling to Orran Lovelock only for hhim to smash a rebound wide with the Ivanhoe keeper grounded after beating out a fierce drive from Furniss.

Noon then did well to tip over a screamer by Kelly-Walley before Brown hit the side-netting with a header.

However, it was Ivanhoe who finished the stronger side and they took the points when Mawbey’s header was deflected into the net following a Sam Bartram corner.

GOALS: Stephenson 21 (Swans); Hanslow 58, Mawbey 90 (Ivanhoe).

SWANS: Beeston, Blades, Kelly-Walley, Brown, Akers, Furniss, Chadfield (Cobley 87), Davies, Stephenson, Lonergan (Rowland 70), Hancock (Lovelock 55). Subs not used: Mewis, Harris.

IVANHOE: Noon, Dowling, Mitchell, Keenan, Mawbey, Hollis, Nettle (Brockley 67), Muir (King 75), Gibson, Hanslow, Chatfield (Bartram 55).

SWANS STAR MAN: Jamie Brown — great at the back with neat distribution.

REFEREE: G Smith (Morley Moor).

ATTENDANCE: 73.