Football: Late goal leaves Salvation Army beaten

Salvation Army 0 Benhall St Mary 1

Salvation Army have only themselves to blame for failing to see off the challenge of Benhall in their Suffolk & Ipswich League Division Two encounter at Chilton Fields this afternoon.

A 90th-minute header from Chris Sillett was all that separated the teams in a dour encounter, lacking goalmouth incident.

A strong wind made playing conditions difficult but Army dominated for long periods without ever testing visiting goalkeeper Dan Saunders.

Salvation Army captain Bryn Blower
torments a Benhall defender.

The closest the hosts came to breaking the deadlock saw Daniel Frappell send a cross skimming across the face of goal after 21 minutes, evading the touch of Paul Gunton and then, on the hour mark, no one was able to convert a similar cross from Darren Pleasance.

Army substitute Sam Dickie curled a 20-yard effort just over the bar midway through the second half but his team failed to create any clear-cut chances.

And they were made to pay in the final five minutes as they stretched their goalless run to three games.

Sillett sent a header crashing against Dale Watling's post in the 86th minute and then the home goalkeeper had to be alert to tip over Adam Mayhew's audacious 35-yard lob.

Salvation Army's Lewis Stannard
wins this aerial battle.

But he was beaten in the final minute when full-back Chris Bailey was allowed time and space to deliver a deep cross for Sillett to head home at the far post.

Salvation Army: Watling, Moye, Westcott (Cage), Blower, Doggett, Doughty, Rushbrook, L Stannard, Gunton (Dickie), Frappell, Pleasance (Pascarella). Substitutes (not used): Reynolds, J Stannard.

Benhall St Mary: Saunders, Bailey, Calver, Mayhew, Sillett, Oakes (King), Sillett, Flaherty, Hambling, Kaznica, Banks (Clark). Substitute (not used): Brown.

Scorer: Sillett 90.

• See a slideshow of action from the game here.