Padiham 3 Alport 2

Whitchurch Alport were left still searching for their first league victory of the season after Saturday’s fixture away at Padiham when they suffered a 3-2 defeat.

Goals from Sean Griffiths and Simon Everall were not enough to return to Shropshire with even a single point for their efforts after Alport were left to regret their missed opportunities.

The game was evenly matched for most of the afternoon but it was the home side who took all three points with a late winner in the 86th minute.

The home side started strong when captain Christopher Turner nearly opened the scoring early on with a long-range strike going just wide of the Alport goal.

Turner was the first on the scoresheet shortly afterwards however, when he met a corner inside the box and drilled an effort home in the 36th minute.

Padiham weren’t able to take their lead into the break though after their keeper was unable to hold onto a Lee Pickerill free-kick on the stroke of half-time, allowing Griffiths to put the ball into an open net.

Alport’s opponents looked threatening going forward in the second half, setting up an entertaining contest.

Luke Goddard’s men were enjoying the majority of possession, but they were set back again when defender Darren Campion was judged to have pulled down the Padiham striker in the box, and the resulting penalty was converted by Turner to get his second goal of the afternoon.

The visitors trailed for no longer than three minutes though when a corner was eventually met by the head of Simon Everall whose glanced effort found the bottom corner to draw Alport level once more.

Alport looked likely to go on and claim three points when they found the back of the Padiham net again after a goalkeeping error resulted in another headed goal by Everall, only for him to be judged offside by the linesman.

The game remained very open in the closing minutes, and it was the home side that prevailed when Padiham’s number nine ,Lee Knight, was able to latch onto a spilt save and slot the ball in at the near post to set his side up for the victory.

Alport used the dying minutes of the game in an attempt to salvage a draw from the fixture, but it wasn’t to be.

Goddard’s side were made to finish the game with just 10 players on the pitch when substitute Nicholas Porter was dismissed after a late challenge.

Alport’s next league game will see them travel to West Didsbury & Chorlton in a bank holiday Monday fixture on August 27.