Vauxhall Motors 1 Gloucester City 2
A LAST-GASP strike prevented Vauxhall from pocketing a Blue Square Bet North point from a hard-fought clash.
During an action-packed four minutes of injury time on Saturday, Chris Noone cleared a Matt Coupe shot off the Vauxhall goal-line before a Tom Hannigan effort was stopped on the line by Gloucester goalkeeper Mike Green at the other end.
Darren Edwards won it for the visitors in the 93rd minute. A cross from the right was headed up in the air and the striker controlled the ball before hitting it home from close range to make it 2-1.
Motors had taken the lead on 33 minutes. Craig Mahon slid a through-ball to Ashley Stott, who raced through on goal and slotted the ball underneath the dive of Green.
Gloucester almost levelled on the stroke of half time when Chris Holland’s header from an Adam Mann corner was saved by Zac Jones.
The equaliser arrived five minutes after the interval. Winger Bagasan Graham, signed on loan from Cheltenham, jinked his way past two challenges and fired past Jones.
In an end-to-end contest, both sides went looking for a winner. The hosts had good chances through Louis Barnes and Mahon while the visitors also went close before Edwards’ winner.
Vauxhall: Jones, Wainwright, Barnes (Burns 90), Hannigan, Nicholas, Fearnehough, Mahon, Noone, Rutter (Clowes 70), Stott, Thompson (Clair 70). Subs: Moss, Martindale. Attendance: 122.
The Motormen visit fourth-placed Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday before hosting Colwyn Bay on Boxing Day (both 3pm).
Vauxhall have signed striker Obi Anoruo from Barrow. Anoruo enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Rivacre Park while he was on Wrexham’s books in the 2010-11 campaign.
