Soham Town Rangers 1, Aveley 1

AVELEY failed to find the BetVictor Isthmian North won they wanted but managed a late fight to earn a point, even if it came at the expense of a red card for top scorer Alex Akrofi.

The Millers made a couple of changes with Shad Ngandu, Connor Witherspoon and Tom Richardson in the starting eleven, as Jack Mochalski and George Sykes were on the bench and James Goode missed out through illness.

It was a quiet start to the game with The Millers having a couple of corners which were both cleared away with ease. Richardson had the ball played to his feet inside the area but was adjudged to be holding off the defender and he was denied an effort on goal with a swivel.

The first shot of the game came as Jason Raad eyed up a 25 yarder, it was a good effort and was heading into the bottom right-hand corner but the keeper made a comfortable save and held onto the swerving shot well.

On 15 minutes, Soham Town Rangers took the lead with their only real chance of the game in truth, a cross came in from the right and the deadly Mulready headed into the top left-hand corner to put the hosts ahead.

Aveley came back and had a headed chance for Harry Gibbs as he met a Raad cross, but the header looped onto the roof the net. Wyan Reid then had a dangerous run, but he just couldn't get the right connection of the cross.

Raad was next to try his luck with a mazy run on a difficult surface, but he forced a save from Josh Pope. The ball landed back to him but his attempted cross was blocked and scrambled away.

Akrofi cut in on his left foot and took aim at the goal but it was just too close to the keeper who made another save.

Aveley started off the second half well and should have equalised in the 52nd minute as George Allen had a free header from eight yards out but it went an inch over the crossbar.

Two minutes later Aveley were denied by the crossbar after Richardson, with a driving run past two players, managed to get enough space for the shot and on his left foot, he smacked the bar, so unlucky to not get his first goal since returning to The Millers.

Aveley's hunt for a route back into the game seemed doomed when Akrofi was shown a straight red card on 75 minutes for what was controversially adjudged a dangerous tackle.

Aveley were throwing everything at Soham but just didn't seem to be able to find that final ball or clinical finish.

However, with five minutes to go, they were awarded a penalty after Richardson was taken out from behind. Shad Ngandu stepped and cooly passed the ball into the net.

And Aveley almost won it in the last minute when Jon Nzengo's cross picked out Richardson but his effort was fingertipped to safety by Pope who saved his team a point.